How to Soften a Hardened Block of Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is a pantry essential for any home baker, but it can be a difficult ingredient to work with. One of the biggest problems with storing brown sugar is that it can easily harden into one big block, making it hard to measure or mix. These clumps can be broken up with lots of mashing and stirring, but here's a much faster and easier method.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Microwave-safe zip-top bag
• Apple
• Airtight plastic container

1. If the hardened brown sugar is not already stored in a large, microwave-safe zip-top bag, transfer it into one.

2. Cut an apple in half. Cut one of the halves into four slices. The other half can be eaten immediately or stored for later consumption.

3. Place the open bag of hardened brown sugar into the microwave. Arrange the four apple slices on a paper towel and place them in the microwave next to the bag.

4. Turn the microwave on high for 20 seconds. The apple slices will release steam, which will moisturize the mass of brown sugar and make it easier to manipulate.

5. Remove the bag from the microwave. Push as much air out of the bag as possible and seal it. Squeeze and knead the sugar through the bag to break up clumps and restore the sugar to a smooth consistency that is easy to measure and mix.

6. When not in use, store the sealed bag inside of an airtight plastic container. Make sure that as much air as possible is purged from the bag before storing it, and keep the container in a cool, dark and dry place.

Tips & Warnings

• Since brown sugar almost always hardens with time, buy the smallest amounts possible to meet your cooking needs.
• If you have a few days before you'll need to use your sugar, you can stick a slice of fresh white bread into the bag and seal it. After a couple of days, the moisture from the bread will have softened the sugar. Remove the bread after using this technique.

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