How To Soften Brown Sugar

If your sugar looks like this:

There are two things you can do.  First, if you need to soften it right away (because let’s face it, who checks their brown sugar a day in advance to make sure it hasn’t turned into adobe?), then you can put it on a plate and microwave it for a couple of minutes.

The sugar will still feel hard, but if you squeeze it between your fingers, it will crumble, and you will be able to measure it and use it in your recipe.  Do so immediately, because as it cools, it will harden again.

If you’re one of those mythical cooks I’ve read about, who actually plan in advance and everything, and you have some time before you need the sugar, try this:

Look in your fridge.  Do you have a bag of carrots?  Are they orange, or suspiciously greenish-black like mine?  If they’re orange, toss one into your container of brown sugar.  Leave it overnight.  The carrot will wither as the sugar greedily sucks out all of its moisture.  Bad news for the carrot.  Good news for you.

If you don’t have a carrot, or at least not one fit for human consumption, you can use an apple instead. 

This is a fresh, crisp gala.  In case you were wondering.  Wash, slice, and core the apple.

The sound of food being prepared, especially food that is intended for use elsewhere, will bring the children running.  Distract them while you salvage one small slice of apple.

Put the apple in with the brown sugar.  Close the container and put it away. 

The next day, withered apple, happy sugar.