Mar
14
2013

How to Soften Brown Sugar

Sometimes, you go to use your brown sugar and it has hardened into chunks of inpenetrable sugar rock. Sure, there are ways to soften up brown sugar but if you're anything like me you want that sugar NOW.

I found this trick over on The Kitchn the other day, gave it a try, and much to my delight it worked! 

  1. Put the sugar in a glass casserole dish with a loose fitting lid
  2. Moisten a paper towel, squeeze out any excess water, and place it in the dish with the sugar.
  3. Microwave the sugar on high for 20 seconds. Check it and if it's not softened enough, moisten the towel again and microwave for another 10-20 seconds. 
  4. Break up the chunks with a fork and stir the sugar before using or transferring to a sealed container. 

She may go by the name Scatteredmom online, but Karen really is anything but scattered when it comes to the kitchen.  Churning out tasty treats within view of the Georgia Strait on Canada's west coast, Karen will hand you an organized weekly meal plan or teach you how to make meals from scratch.  As Mom to a teenage boy, she knows exactly what it takes to keep kids full and happy-which has really come in handy with her job as the Food Editor at Yummy Mummy Club.

A strong supporter of Food Revolution who has been endorsed by Jamie Oliver himself, by day Karen can be found working as a special education teaching assistant, running a kitchen and showing teenagers how to cook nutritious meals for themselves.  By night, when she's not chatting on Twitter and answering cooking questions,  she writes her popular blog Notes From the Cookie Jar, or posting mouthwatering recipes over at Chasing Tomatoes.  Not afraid to give her opinion and passionate about community, Karen spoke at Blissdom Canada 2010 and her writing has been published in Canadian Living magazine, as well as in various online publications. 

Follow Karen on Twitter @scatteredmom