How to Soften Brown Sugar: 6 Ways to Soften Brown Sugar

Brown sugar is made by coating white sugar with molasses. When brown sugar is soft, it is because the molasses is fresh and damp, allowing the sugar crystals to easily move against one another. When brown sugar is exposed to air, the moisture of the brown sugar evaporates as the molasses begins to dry out. This makes the sugar crystals stick together, which calcify to form clumps that become rock-hard brown sugar.

Here are a few simple ways of keeping your brown sugar moist and ready to use in your recipes.

1. 1. Use bread to quickly break up sugar crystals. You can place a slice of bread in an air-tight canister with brown sugar which should loosen your sugar crystals within about eight hours. Bread contains moisture that would otherwise evaporate, but the brown sugar absorbs it when the two are sealed together.
2. 2. Microwave it in a bowl. Using a microwave is the quickest way to soften brown sugar that has become rock-hard. Place your brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl with a damp cloth over the top. Heat the bowl in your microwave at 30-second intervals until the sugar has softened. Break the tough sugar clumps up with a fork as you go.
3. 3. Seal it up with marshmallows. Marshmallows soften brown sugar in the same way that bread does, by giving the sugar a source of moisture that erodes the sugar clumps. Place one or two marshmallows in your airtight container and wait for the moisture of the marshmallows to be absorbed by the sugar crystals. Then, you can use a knife to break up any clumps.
4. 4. Use apple slices. You can seal apple slices inside an airtight container to soften brown sugar, similar to how you would use bread or marshmallows.
5. 5. Cover it with a damp towel. Place the hard brown sugar in a bowl and cover it with a moist paper towel or damp, clean washcloth. Wring out the towel first to get rid of excess water. Make sure that the towel isn't directly touching the sugar when you place it over the bowl. Leave the bowl on your kitchen counter overnight. By morning, your brown sugar should be soft.
6. 6. Use a terra cotta disk. You can buy a terra cotta disk made for keeping your brown sugar soft or a clean piece of terra cotta from a broken garden pot. Soak the terra cotta disk in water for 30 minutes. Then dry off the excess water and place it in an airtight container with your brown sugar. The sugar will absorb the moisture from the disk. Make sure to check your disk regularly, re-soaking and cleaning it every few weeks.

Here are some tips for storing your brown sugar to prevent it from going hard.

1. 1. Always store it in an airtight container. The surest way to help keep your brown sugar soft is to keep it sealed in an airtight food storage container. Brown sugar becomes hard when it is exposed to air, so keeping air out of your brown sugar will keep it from calcifying.
2. 2. Double-pack your sugar. Keep your brown sugar inside of a plastic bag, then put that bag inside an air-tight storage canister. The bag of brown sugar will lock in moisture and the container will keep out any air. Using this method, brown sugar should stay soft for at least 12 months.
3. 3. Freeze your brown sugar. Freezing your brown sugar will also help to lock in moisture. Double bag your sugar or wrap it in plastic wrap before freezing to help keep out ice crystals.

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