Here’s the Quick and Easy Way to Soften Brown Sugar
Here’s the Quick and Easy Way to Soften Brown Sugar
An extreme close up, isolated horizontal photograph of a glass bowl full of brown sugar sitting on a white tea towel.
Raw sugar close up still life, selective focus
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When baking sweet treats, brown sugar is essential. It’s one of those things that you most likely already have tucked away in your pantry, but when it comes time to use it, it’s completely rock solid.
Problem, right? Actually, not at all! You can quickly salvage that brick of brown sugar and soften it up so it’s suitable to add to your recipe. Here’s how.
All you need are a few simple household items: a microwave, some paper towel, and a little bit of water.
First, transfer your brown sugar into a microwave-safe bowl. Second, using water, dampen a folded piece of paper towel and lay it right on top of the bowl of sugar.
Then, pop it in the microwave for approximately 20 seconds. When you take it out of the microwave, use a fork to gently press on the sugar, breaking and loosening it up.
If you find that the sugar is still lumpy in some areas, place it back in the microwave with a damp paper towel again for another 10 to 20 seconds.
Just be mindful to keep checking, as the brown sugar will melt if it’s in there for too long. And voila! You have soft brown sugar that’s ready for baking.
Related Slideshow: Sweet as sin – 30 facts you didn’t know about sugar (Provided by Photo Services)
One of the only ingredients craved by humans, sugar has its hits and misses. Click through to read about 30 facts you may not know about this sweetener.
An average American approximate consumes 61 pounds (27.6 kg) of refined sugar each year. This includes approximately 25 pounds (11.3 kg) of candy. Halloween candy accounts for at least two pounds (approx. 1 kg) of that.
An eight-atom sugar known as glycolaldehyde has even been found in an interstellar gas cloud near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This atom can react to form a more complex form of sugar known as ribose which is the basis for both RNA and DNA – the carriers of the genetic code in living organisms.
To get stubborn stains and muck off your hands (paint, grease, grime) add sugar to your soap lather. You can also add some olive oil to moisturize.
It was Christopher Columbus who introduced sugar cane seeds to the New World on his second voyage in 1493.
Make a paste of warm water with sugar and apply it to tough grass stains. Allow the mixture to sit for a while (an hour if the stains are tough) and wash as usual.
Tooth decay is wrongly attributed to sugar. Instead, it is the bacteria that feeds on the sugar that rots your teeth.
If you store cakes (or any baked goodies) in an air-tight container with a few sugar cubes, it will stay fresh longer.
Did you know lemons have more sugar than strawberries?
To get those perfect kissable lips simply blend a little jojoba or olive oil with caster sugar. Add a touch of peppermint or vanilla extract to the mix and apply the paste on your lips. Massage and lick off.
To make your lipstick stay longer, sprinkle some sugar on a freshly applied coat, let it sit and then lick it off!
Sucralose, commonly known as Splenda on the market, was accidently discovered by scientist trying to create a new insecticide. Apparently, a research assistant who was supposed to “test” the new compound misheard and tasted it — he liked what he ate!
According to a study conducted by Purdue University, obesity can be directly linked to artificial sweeteners found in soft drinks.
A 20-ounce bottle of cola contains as much as 16 cubes of sugar. A study carried out in 2013 estimated that almost 200,000 deaths worldwide could be attributed to people drinking high sugar drinks and soda.
You can treat a wound by sprinkling sugar on it. A study showed that pouring granulated sugar on bedsores, leg ulcers or amputations before dressing killed the bacteria that caused chronic pain and prevented the wound from healing.
You can soothe a singed tongue or that spicy burn by simply sucking on a cube of sugar.
The Indians have been crystallizing cane sugar for at least 2,000 years. When Alexander the Great’s army reached Indian shores, they were amazed at how one could produce honey without bees.
Excessive consumption of sugar may give you wrinkles and cutting back may help skin retain its flexibility.
Sugar can also be used as the main ingredient for fuel that is used in rockets by amateur rocket enthusiasts. You simply need to burn sucrose with a dose of corn syrup and saltpeter to get the “sugar propellant.”
Sometimes children are prescribed a sugar pill marketed under the name of “Obecalp” for minor complaints. So when your doctor prescribes “Obecalp” the pharmacist knows exactly what to give you. Just read the name backward!
Did you know, you can keep your cut flowers fresh longer by simply adding the mixture of three teaspoons of sugar and two tablespoons of white vinegar per quart of warm water?
Storing strong cheese with sugar cubes will prevent the cheese from molding.
Sugar can also act as a pesticide! Catch those roaches (or other bugs) by mixing equal parts sugar with baking powder and sprinkle it over the infested areas. The roaches will be attracted to the sugar and the baking soda will kill them.
It has been widely noted that sugar can significantly increase the risk of heart diseases. A 2013 study in the Journal of the American Heart Association stated that sugar can affect the pumping mechanism of your heart and could increase the risk for heart failure.
In 1747, German chemist Andreas Marggraf discovered that the sugar derived from sugar beet is identical to that in sugarcane. This discovery led to the set-up of the first beet-sugar refinery in 1802 bringing cheap sweets to northern climes.
Sugar makes for an excellent exfoliating agent! Make you own body scrub by mixing sugar with oil (canola, almond, jojoba or olive all work well) to create a loose paste. One can add essential oils or vanilla extract to add aroma to your scrub. Add bananas to this mixture to add some moisturizing properties to your product.
To clean your coffee bean and spice grinder of its accumulated oils and aroma pour ¼ cup of sugar in the grinder and let it run for 2-3 minutes. The sugar will absorb all the offending elements.
Sugar can be found in the most unlikely places such as tonic water, marinades, crackers, bread, fat-free dressing, tomato sauce and other savory items. One tablespoon of Heinz ketchup contains 1 teaspoon of sugar.
According to research observations from brain scans, sugar is as addictive as cocaine.
According to published research in The New England Journal of Medicine, contrary to popular belief, sugar does not make kids hyper.
About 70 percent of all sugar produced is utilized in its country of origin. More than 100 countries produce sugar commercially, while Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugar cane, India is the world’s largest consumer of sugar.
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