How to Soften Brown Sugar
Surely this has happened to you. You are racing to get your item prepared and it calls for brown sugar. Yes, you know you have brown sugar so you go to your pantry.
Well, I'lllll beeee… the brown sugar is solid . . . . solid as a ROCK! Now, you could always substitute brown sugar for white and some maple syrup, but you could be out of those two things too!
Rest assured, brown Sugar can be softened and there are a few ways to do it! The most effective way for me (and most recently used) is to place it in the microwave in a bowl. Also place another bowl filled with water. Let it run for about 30 seconds and check to see if the brick of sugar has softened at all. You will need to continue doing this in 30-second intervals until it's softer.
If it gets soft but not super soft, you could always put it in your blender and let it pulsate until it's in smaller, less rock-hardish shapes. I have done this as well but find the microwave works better for me.
You want a perfect dish to use your brown sugar in post-softening? Try this French Toast Casserole. It's a go-to breakfast dish for many of my outings! Even if there are small clumps of brown sugar before baking, they come out melted, gooey and perfect afterwards!
Do you have other tried and trued ways to soften brown sugar?
Just put a fresh slice of bread in the brown sugar container. In a day or two your brown sugar with be as soft as new- replace bread slice periodically.
To prevent brown sugar from ever getting hard, store in air tight plastic container (Rubbermaid, Tupperware, etc.) and wet the inside of the lid each time you open and reseal the container. The water on the lid provides enough moisture to keep soft. This has been working for me for years….learned about this tip at a Tupperware Party.