Keeping Brown Sugar

Yes!! This works like magic- put a piece of bread in the bag and seal it back up. I usually use about 1/4 to 1/2 of a slice of bread. The next day it will be soft!

Bread in the bag!!! Will soften hardened sugar and keep soft sugar soft. I usually use the little end pieces that no one wants to eat :) You could also use a slice or two of apple.

I've had really good luck with the ~I think C&H~ brown sugar that comes in its own zip lock bag. Stays fresh forever.
I'd say buy the box, cheaper, and put it into your own ziplock and make sure you squeeze all the air out.

I keep mine in one of the "seal tite" containers with a piece of white bread in it. ALWAYS soft and ready to use!!!

IF your brown sugar is as hard as a rock - DO NOT throw it out!!
Put it in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Put a piece of WHITE bread in the package.

DO NOT THROW IT OUT!!!

You can store it in the freezer too....

Make cookies more often so you use it quicker? :)

I keep my bag of brown sugar closed up and put inside a sturdy zip-lock bag, which I also keep sealed up. Even Colorado dryness doesn't affect it. It sounds like overkill, but I've ended up using too many boxes of brown sugar as doorstops not to get out that extra bag.

Put a slice of bread in the top of the bag before sealing it. Learned this from my grandmother (freaked me out till I got used to it) and it works like a charm.

We keep a marshmallow in the sealed bag or sealed container of brown sugar. Works great.

Keeping a few marshmellows in the canister works just as well as the slice of bread and when all the moisture does get sucked out of the marshmellow, you're not left with bread crumbs in your brown sugar!

You need to keep the air out.... a chip clip won't do it.

Seal it in a good plastic container, or seal the bag in a zip-lock... and make sure it is still sealed!

If you need to "rehydrate" or soften it, Take a look at the suggestions on this link....

http://frugalliving.about.com/od/foodsavings/qt/Soften_B_...

I also buy the brown sugar that comes in a bag. I keep mine in a sealed Tupperware container in a dark cabinet under the counter. Not sure if keeping it in a lower cabinet helps or not, but I never have clumps and I used to buy it on a box and keep it up in a really high cabinet and it sometimes would get nasty. Maybe the cooler lower cabinet makes a difference. And you should store it in a sealable container for sure. Keeps the ants out too, on the rare occasion the buggers come to visit.

I keep my bag of brown sugar in a sealed Ziplock freezer bag =) I used to keep it in a canister but every time I went to use it the brown sugar was hard as a rock!

I use O. of this brown sugar stones in the bag.
They look like this:
http://standingstonepottery.com/brown_sugar_keepers

You can always make your own as you need it. Mix sugar and molasses in a food processor. I've never done it but read about it and reviews said it was just as good, if not better. You control how light/dark by the amount of molasses used.

I've tried the bread trick, but I don't like the crumbs it sometimes leaves, so I use a method I learned as a kid from my best friend's mom.

I also store my brown sugar in an airtight container (like Tupperware). I then tape a folded-up paper towel to the lid and moisten the paper towel. I don't cover the paper towel with tape, but just tape an X across it. Also, I make sure I don't moisten the paper towel before taping it to the lid or it won't stick. ;-) The paper towel shouldn't be dripping, but should be completely damp. I use a spoon to pour just enough water on it, then dry off the rest of the lid, so nothing drips into the brown sugar.

If I ever have brown sugar that has already gone hard, I just put it into a container prepared with a damp paper towel as above and after a few days (depending on how much I have), it is soft again. I never put brown sugar in the microwave to soften it. It ends up being hard again (often it is even harder) as soon as it cools.

Put it in the freezer and it will stay soft.

The grocery store should have a brown sugar "bar" in the baking isle. It looks like a bar of soap but you are supposed to put it in the bag of sugar and it will keep it soft. Also, if your sugar gets hard, stick it in the microwave for a few minutes on low or defrost and it will soften right up!

in colorado, it has to be double sealed. i use the bag it came in (C&H w/the zip lock) and then an air tight canister. I've also put the C&H bag inside a freezer bag. just one won't do it in our dry air!

Use a tupperware-like container to store brown sugar. Once it is hard you can soften it again, seal a slice of bread or two in with the hard brown sugar, the bread will dry out and the sugar will soften. You can also microwave the sugar for a few seconds to soften it up, not too long though or it will burn!

I try to by the brands with a resealable bag so that I can always close it tight. I also put the bag into another bar or air tight container. Unfortunately that doesn't always work either. But I also usually buy my brown sugar when it's on a super sale so if it clumps I don't feel bad about tossing it out LOL.

I don't know of any other tricks to keep it from clumping and will be interested in any tips others have.

I keep mine in a short, rectangular Rubbermaid container that is approximately the same size as a bag of brown sugar when it's laying flat. I keep the sugar in the bag and just put the whole opened bag into the plastic container. I've never had a problem with the sugar drying out.

Hey! I always dump mine out of the bag an into a plastic rubbermaid container. It never goes hard! That might be an easier fix for you.