Brown sugar is an important ingredient in baking, but storing brown sugar is tricky! It can become hard as a rock and feel impossible to use. I want you to have all the information you need for making and storing brown sugar, so that you never have to worry about it going hard on you ever again.
I don’t remember learning about storing brown sugar. My mother knew these tips, so I must have learned it from her. Taking care of this sugar was something that was just apart of the kitchen. I had no idea it was a struggle for people until my friends started running their own kitchens and I started spending more time in my mother-in-laws kitchen. I didn’t know that sugar went hard as a brick or that it could take out your teeth if you weren’t careful. Now I am here to share my mother’s knowledge with all of you, so that you never have to deal with rock solid brown sugar again.
Differences between Brown Sugar and White Sugar
What is Brown Sugar?
Brown sugar is white sugar mixed with molasses.
Light brown sugar has less molasses added in and dark brown sugar has more molasses mixed back in.
How is sugar made? How is molasses made?
I was curious how sugar and molasses are made, so I wanted to share this very basic explination with you in case you are curious too!
Sugar begins as sugar cane and the cane is juiced to get the sweet sap. The cane sap is heated and boiled. The heating helps the sugar become more concentrated as the water vapor escapes. That sap is strained for impurities and different ingredients are added to help crystalize the sugars in the sap and remove impurities.
Factories have big, washing machine like mixers that have two different cylinders. One cylinder is on the inside and it catches all the crystalized sugar as it spins. The larger cylinder is there to catch the uncrystalized molasses that as the mixer spins. They spray the crystals with water to wash off any molasses that is still on them. Finally, they dry the sugar and package it for us to buy.
This is how the crystals end up the light yellow color of unbleached sugar. If you add bleach then it becomes the pure white sugar that most people buy at the store.
Why Did My Sugar Harden?
Humidity and moisture. Brown sugar hardens when there is not enough moisture for the molasses to stay wet. White sugar clumps when there is too much moisture.
How to Store Brown Sugar
My mother never had any trouble storing brown sugar. I didn’t know that it could turn rock solid until I began to bake at my mother in laws house!
Follow these tips and your brown sugar should never go hard again!
Tip 1
Store brown sugar in an airtight container.
Air will take the moisture out of the sugar and that creates rocks. Have a dedicated airtight container for each sugar, so that you never have to worry about it again.
Tip 2
Invest in a brown sugar stone. Split a pack of two with a friend or family member.
I have this set that I really adored when I kept brown sugar in my pantry. I still have one of them to this day and I gave the other to my friend. $15 dollars can feel like a lot, but I trust the pampered chef brand so I was willing to pay for them, with the knowledge that it would be a one time purchase. If you would like some cheaper options Amazon has them here.
They even make plastic containers now that have little holders for the sugar stone in the lid, so that it doesn’t have to touch the brown sugar at all. Target sells a container and stone set here.
Tip 3
Store it away from sunlight.
If you store it in the sunlight, the container’s heat will fluctuate during the day and that can create condensation which will dissolve the sugar crystals.
How to Soften Brown Sugar
Is it too late? Has it already hardened like a rock? Don’t throw it away because you have options!
Brown sugar needs humidity because of the molasses. When the moisture in brown sugar is gone it hardens. Here are simple ways to add humidity back to it.
Step 1
Store Brown Sugar in an air tight container, if it isn’t in one already.
The air tight container will contain the moisture so that the brown sugar can soak it up.
Step 2
Add humidity.
Soak the brown sugar stone for a few minutes, dry it with a towel, and add it back in with the sugar. Wait a few hours and check the sugar again.
Add a slice of bread to the container. The bread is soft because of the moisture in it so adding it into the sugar will loosen it. Wait a few hours and check the sugar again.
If you need it immediately, you can put it into a bowl and into the microwave with a slightly damp towel. Microwave for 30 seconds. Check after each session to see if enough has loosened that you can use it, and that your towel still has some moisture left.
How to Use a Brown Sugar Stone
Brown sugar stones are typically terra cotta so that they can hold water and then slowly release the water vapor over time. That is why it is used for plants as well. The stone helps to create humidity that keeps the molasses in the sugar wet. It is the molasses that binds the sugar crystals together like rocks when it gets too dry.
Step 1
Wash the stone in WATER ONLY! If you wash with soap the stone will take on some of that flavor.
Step 2
Soak the stone in water for 15 minutes.
Step 3
Dry the stone with a towel, and place it into the airtight brown sugar container. You will need to resoak it every few months to keep the humidity up. Your brown sugar will start to feel dry and that is how you know when to resoak the stone.
That’s it, I hope it is easier than you thought!
Substitutes for Brown Sugar
There are options to substitute for brown sugar, but you can also make it at home easily!
SuCaNat can replace brown sugar. It is dried sugar cane that still has the molasses as a part of it. SuCaNat stands for Sugar Cane Natural. It is a one to one replacement for brown sugar.
Date sugar is another replacement for brown sugar. It is a one to one replacement as well, but it does not dissolve in water like sugar.
Homemade Brown Sugar – Never Buy it Again!
I used to buy brown sugar because that is what my mother and grandmothers did.
If you have the package that it comes in, I want you to go look at it. Otherwise look it up online. What are the ingredients? The brown sugar I bought was just molasses and sugar. THAT IS IT! Why would I buy something that I can make with two pantry staples that I always have on hand?
Once I realized how easy it was to make, I decided never to buy it again.
I started buying organic cane sugar, I started to buy better ingredients so that I can be more confident about using it in recipes. For a long time I used to make brown sugar only when I ran out of it. I really liked the ability to make the sugar as dark as I liked, because I like the taste of molasses and it was a higher quality product that I felt good giving to my family.
Homemade Brown Sugar
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Molasses if making Light Brown Sugar OR
- 2 Tablespoons Molasses if making Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Cup White Sugar for both
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl, add the sugar and molasses.
- Mix the molasses into the sugar until no clumps remain and the sugar is one color throughout.
- Enjoy!
Notes
I have a handy Brown Sugar Guide that you can print off and keep in your cookbook or on your fridge to help you remember how much sugar and molasses you need for the recipe you are using. Sign up below to get it!
Now that you know so much about brown sugar, I hope that you feel more confident using, making, and storing brown sugar!
What is Your Favorite Recipe That Uses Brown Sugar?
Do you make your own brown sugar? Let me know in the comments below what your favorite recipes are that use brown sugar.
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It’s rare to find such warmth and wisdom coexisting so naturally in writing — truly a gift.
That is so kind! Thank you so much.
🙂 Thank you for commenting.