Air-Tight Container One of the best ways to keep brown sugar soft is also the simplest. Use a food-safe container with a tight-fitting lid or a resealable plastic bag to help keep brown sugar from losing moisture. These containers prevent the brown sugar from being exposed to air and subsequently drying out.
How to prevent your brown sugar from hardening. Brown sugar should be stored in a cool, moist area in a rustproof container with a tight-fitting lid. Brown sugar can also be stored in any type of re-sealable, moisture-proof plastic bag.
Always store granulated sugar in an airtight container. Store powdered sugar in a cool, dry location (not the refrigerator). When it gets moist, it develops lumps.
Brown sugar is naturally moist and soft because of the thin film of molasses that covers each sugar crystal. If the moisture in the molasses evaporates, however, the sugar hardens into one mass, so it should always be sealed in an airtight container to prevent moisture loss.
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The most obvious way to prevent brown sugar from getting hard is by storing it in an air-tight container. You want the container to be on the smaller side, so there's not too much air trapped inside the container, but the shape doesn't really matter—as long as it doesn't allow any air to pass through.
Air-Tight Container
One of the best ways to keep brown sugar soft is also the simplest. Use a food-safe container with a tight-fitting lid or a resealable plastic bag to help keep brown sugar from losing moisture. These containers prevent the brown sugar from being exposed to air and subsequently drying out.
Now you know freezing brown sugar is a good option for preventing it from hardening. It is also great as a storage method if you have a lot of brown sugar to keep. It is also great if you are in a dry place and cannot keep it out in the open.
Store sugar in a cool, dry location (not the refrigerator). Moisture makes granulated sugar hard and lumpy. Once this happens, it creates problems in usage and there is no easy method to restore lumpy sugar. Always store all sugars in an odor free area.
To keep air out, simply store your Brown Sugar in any airtight container. Your best options are glass or reusable plastic containers with locking and sealing lids. If you don't have a container large enough, a sealable, freezer-safe bag will do.
Place a small piece of bread in the container with the brown sugar. Like marshmallows, white bread contains a good amount of moisture. As that transfers to the molasses in the brown sugar, the bread will become hard, the brown sugar soft. Replace that piece of bread weekly, or as needed.
Why Does Brown Sugar Go Hard? Brown sugar hardens as its natural moisture evaporates. Unless you store it properly, what was a soft, fluffy package of brown sugar granules will have hardened into a dense brown lump you could break windows with.
As mentioned, brown sugar doesn't expire. It has a shelf life of roughly two years but can last longer if you store it properly. If you have kept your brown sugar in the pantry for several years, you can still use it as long as there is no bug contamination, bad smells, or mold growing.
Per Home Cook World, cool and dry means a room temperature ranging from 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 77. Conversely, a refrigerator is set to run below 40 degrees, which is low enough to harden brown sugar.
Wrap your hardened brown sugar in aluminum foil, and place it in a 250°F oven. I recommend placing the wrapped brown sugar on a baking sheet just in case there are any spills. Carefully check the brown sugar for softness every 5 minutes (It is hot, you know!) until adequately softened.
Sugars are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Granulated sugar may form lumps, but they are easy to break up with a whisk or fork. Brown sugar is especially prone to hardening, in which case you'll have to soften it before measuring and using in a recipe.
You can freeze all types of sugar, but it isn't recommended. Sugar has a high surface area, so it will quickly absorb bad smells from inside your freezer. Freezing won't help prevent clumping, either. The only real reason to freeze sugar is if you have issues with pests getting into your sugar supply.
Remember oxygen absorbers are not needed, unless you want to turn the sugar into a brick. Sugar storage is perhaps the easiest of the commodities to store, and if it is stored correctly you'll have it at hand indefinitely. You only need to protect it from moisture, use airtight containers and you're good to go.
Simply soak the disc in water, dry thoroughly and then place into sealed container with brown sugar. Let the baking begin! This Brown Sugar Saver will save your day.
Using brown sugar will result in a brown liquid, so it's important to keep an eye on the mixture as you won't be able to tell if it's turned to caramel just from the color. Continue to boil for caramel. If you want to make caramel, leave the mixture to boil for longer.
Brown sugar essentially does not go bad (unless contaminants have gotten mixed in), making it ideal for buying in bulk, if you do a lot of baking. Hardened sugar isn't bad. It's just in need of moisture. However, brown sugar will perform best if used within two years of purchase.