Soften Hard Brown Sugar

Got a lump of hard brown sugar in the pantry? Don't be tempted to toss it - it's still very usable after following one of these steps.

Soft bread method

 * 1) Place the lump of sugar into a plastic bag that can be sealed.
 * 2) Add a slice of soft bread and seal the bag well.
 * 3) Leave for several hours. When you check in a few hours, the sugar should be soft again.

Microwave solution

 * 1) Place the sugar into a microwave-proof bowl and zap it for a few seconds. The sugar will soften quickly.

Damp method

 * 1) If you have more time, leave the sugar in a bowl and cover it with a thick, dampened cloth such as a tea towel.
 * 2) Leave this overnight. By morning, the sugar should be soft again.

Slice of apple method

 * 1) Place the hard brown sugar in a plastic bag that can be sealed, or into the container the brown sugar is in.
 * 2) Add a slice of apple and seal the bag. This method is similar to the soft bread method.

Aluminium foil method

 * 1) Chip off a piece of dried sugar. Wrap it in aluminium foil.
 * 2) Bake in the oven at 150ºC/300ºF for 5 minutes.
 * 3) Remove and allow to cool. The sugar should be soft again.

Tips

 * Stop the sugar from hardening in the first place by adding a terracotta sugar buddy to the sugar container. These can be purchased from many kitchen stores in all sorts of fun shapes and will keep the moisture in your sugar.
 * Placing one or two saltine crackers into your sugar container will also help keep the sugar soft.

Things You'll Need

 * Slice of soft bread and sealable plastic bag; or
 * Microwave and bowl; or
 * Bowl and tea towel of similar heavy cloth; or
 * A slice of apple and sealable plastic bag

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Form Sugar Crystals
 * How to Make a Brown Sugar Scrub
 * How to Create a Sugary Treat
 * How to Eat Less Sugar
 * How to Eat a Sugar Cane