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.
To quickly soften brown sugar: place the sugar in a microwave safe bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel for about 20 second, or use a food processor to loosen the brown sugar. If you aren't pressed for time, use a slice of bread or an apple in an airtight container with the brown sugar for 24 hours.
How To Tell If Brown Sugar Is Bad? Discard your brown sugar if you notice bugs or insects, any wet clumps or mold inside, or if it smells off. As already mentioned, dry lumps are perfectly safe, and you can get rid of them manually or by reintroducing a bit of moisture to the molasses that has dried out.
Unlike other kinds of sugar, brown sugar crystals are coated in molasses. When brown sugar is exposed to air, the moisture in the molasses evaporates, causing the sugar crystals to stick together. It's as simple as that!
Brown sugar can mold if it is exposed to moisture and air. This is due to molasses in brown sugar, which provides a suitable environment for mold growth. However, storing brown sugar in airtight containers and keeping it in a cool, dry place can prevent mold from growing.
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.
Brown sugar tends to harden over time. That's normal and reversible. Keep brown sugar in a sealed container to protect it from water and pantry bugs. Discard brown sugar if there are any bugs or contaminants in the package, or if you notice mold or any other organic growth.
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. It's still safe to eat, but there's no way you can measure it accurately for a recipe until it's soft and grainy again.
No. Refrigerating or freezing brown sugar just makes it hard as a rock. Instead, store with a slice of bread in an airtight container or zipper bag.
Brown sugars tend to clump because they contain more moisture than white sugars, allowing baked goods to retain moisture well and stay chewy.
Therefore, brown sugar is the best sugar to use during fermentation.
Granulated sugar will keep indefinitely, confectioners' sugar about 2 years, and brown sugar about 18 months. Brown sugar turns hard when its moisture evaporates.
Blackstrap molasses is simply the spent "mother liquor" remaining after the third cycle of boiling and cooling to produce sugar crystals. The smell of brown sugar thus comes primarily from molasses.
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.
Storage containers should be opaque, airtight, and moisture/ odor-proof. The typical retail paper package for crystal sugars is not suitable for long term storage. Polyethylene bags, Mylar-type bags, food-grade plastic buckets, glass canning jars, and #10 cans are all suitable for dry sugar storage.
Freezer. Storing your brown sugar in a sealed bag in the freezer can help lock in moisture, some cooks say. Just be sure to let it come to room temperature at least 15 minutes before you plan to use it.
To Wrap It Up
The next time you discover brown sugar that has been stored in your pantry for years or months, fret not, as it's safe for consumption. While it doesn't go bad, it easily hardens to form lumps.
Brown sugar dries out when exposed to air for too long. The moisture provided by its molasses content evaporates—the result of plastic bags that aren't fully sealed and cardboard boxes left cracked open at the corners—transforming the malleable mix into a sweet, unusable brick.
What is this? If you notice mold or any other organic growth, or there are bugs, eggs, or any other contaminants in the bag, you should discard the sugar. If your granulated sugar gets hard and lumpy, it means moisture found its way inside the bag ([USU]).
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.
Technically, sugar never spoils. While it's recommended that granulated sugar be discarded after two years, chances are it will still serve its baking purpose even beyond that.
"Technically sugar never spoils," explain food safety experts from the US Department of Agriculture's Food Service and Inspection Service, though they do add, "for best quality it is recommended to use within two years of opening."
Brown sugar has a strong sweet, caramel smell, making it a little more challenging to determine if it has taken up another smell. Despite being a dry ingredient that is quite hostile to life, it can take up other odors if stored in your fridge or in your pantry.
Brown Sugar doesn't really "expire." However, it can absorb excess water if stored in a humid environment and lead to bacteria fermenting it (It would have an alcohol style smell and turn goopy) or pick up odors from its packaging or things that are nearby.