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Nothing worse than starting a baking project to discover that your brown sugar has clumped into one big, unusable brick. Luckily for us, Brown sugar is easy to unclump with just a few common household items.
Here are the three easiest ways to unclump brown sugar.
1. Microwave and a damp cloth
The microwave method is the most common one people use to unclump brown sugar. Place the clumped brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl and wet a kitchen towel or paper towel draped over the top of it.
Cover the bowl tightly with the damp cloth, making sure there is no way for steam to escape. Microwave the covered bowl on high for 10 second bursts.
The wet cloth does 3 things. It attracts microwave energy so it vaporizes the water rather than melting the sugar, The water vapor then helps soften the sugar and keep it moist, while the heat radiating from the wet cloth gently warms up the sugar without overcooking it.
2. Adding a slice of fruit to the jar
This method is great if you don’t need the brown sugar right away, and have time to leave it overnight.
Place a slice of apple, orange, strawberry, or any other fruit that isn’t dripping wet in the container of brown sugar. The fruit will release moisture over time (1 night is usually all it takes), which will help to unclump the sugar.
If you don’t want the sugar to taste to be affected, use a milder fruit like an apple or pear.
Don’t leave the fruit in after you’ve got your desired effect or it could produce mold and cause the brown sugar to become over-saturated.
3. Cheese grater method
This method is when you are in a hurry and don’t have a microwave or spare fruit or spare time laying around. Simply grate the clumped brown sugar with a cheese grater. This will break up the clumps into smaller pieces that you can then use in your recipe.
Do this over a large bowl or sheet of parchment paper to avoid making a mess.
It’s far less pretty than the other methods, but it’s effective in a pinch! If you need a very fine sugar, squeeze it threw a fine mesh colander to break it up even more.
4. How to soften brown sugar with aluminum foil
Preheat an oven or toaster oven to 250F. Simply wrap the brick of clumped brown sugar in some aluminum foil, being sure that the fold is at the top to avoid spillage. Place in oven and check every 3-5 minutes.
This direct heating method is effective But may dry out your brown sugar. Keeping it in too long or on too high a heat risks melting the sugar.
There you have it, four ways to unclump brown sugar. Do you have a favorite method that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below!
There you have it, four ways to unclump brown sugar. Do you have a favorite method that we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments below!
