Prevent Brown Sugar From Hardening With One Storage Hack

Brown sugar adds a rich, decadent flavor to both savory and sweet dishes. It creates a perfect flavor contrast with something salty like bacon, or it can elevate sweet desserts like cookies, apple pie, or frosting. But if you don't use it too often, you might notice that it sits in your pantry and fully hardens, making it nearly impossible to accurately measure when you need it for a recipe. Thankfully, there are two easy fixes here: You can either store it in your freezer or store it alongside a piece of bread or anything that is soft and will absorb moisture.

Moisture is essential to prevent brown sugar from hardening. It contains molasses, which can dry out once it's exposed to air — meaning the minute you open it, the clock starts ticking unless you can guarantee enough moisture is in the bag to keep that sand-like consistency.

The freezer helps to lock in moisture, which is why it's your best bet if you don't use it frequently. However, while the freezer is fine, Domino advises not to store brown sugar in the refrigerator. If you choose the freezer method, make sure you give the sugar time to defrost before using it. There could be a few clumps, which is expected, but they should be minimal and break up quite easily.

A piece of bread is an excellent method if you're storing the sugar at room temperature; just make sure you replace the bread every few days so it doesn't become moldy. Since bread has moisture, it keeps the bag from getting too dry and ultimately keeps the brown sugar soft. If you need that slice of bread and don't want it sitting in your brown sugar container, try using a marshmallow instead; it should work the same because it contains moisture just like the bread and even takes up less space.

It's essential to check the expiration date to see how long your brown sugar will last, but you can expect it to stay at its best quality for around six months after opening. Your brown sugar will likely be lower quality (meaning its flavor and texture might be slightly off) after the expiration date, but should still be safe to consume. With that said, the sugar can attract bugs if not properly sealed, so be sure to inspect it closely if you haven't used it in a while.

If your brown sugar does wind up hardening despite your best efforts, the good news is that it's easy to soften it again. Just pop it in the oven at 250 F until it's back to its regular consistency, making sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't melt. You can also top it with a damp cloth and microwave it; the cooking time will vary depending on how much sugar you're softening, so microwave it in small intervals, de-clumping it as needed.