Home chef shares brilliant brown sugar hack: 'I learned something new'

Hardened sugar can be difficult to use, but with this simple hack, you can soften it right up.

The scoop

If not stored properly, brown sugar can quickly harden and become difficult to break apart and measure. This simple hack, shared by a home chef on TikTok, can help revive hardened brown sugar, making it easier to use. 

@anguswannnn

My brown sugar has been clumped up for years but I just learned that adding a marshmallow in the jar and leaving it overnight will soften it right up! Some people also suggested I throw bread in there instead, but I heard it could mold easily if you forget to take it out and marshmallows won't. Also, not a good idea to drink 8 shots of espresso right when you wake up. I was worried about diluting it with ice but I guess you can over-concentrate it with too much espresso… it was nice and creamy though. I saw somewhere that Italian iced coffee is just shaken espresso with more frozen espresso like what I made, can anyone confirm?

♬ original sound - cuppabeans

Angus Wan (@anguswannnn) demonstrated how easy it is to soften brown sugar using a marshmallow. Angus popped a marshmallow in a jar of hardened sugar overnight, and the next day, it was soft and easy to use.

This hack works because the marshmallow slowly releases moisture, which rehydrates the sugar and helps it soften. Other people have suggested bread can be used to the same effect, but, according to Angus, there is a chance that bread could mold easily if you forget to take it out. 

How it's helping

Keeping food fresh for longer helps you reduce waste and save money on grocery bills. Many people have shared home hacks that keep food fresh, including ones that help prevent fruit from browning too early and revive stale bread.

Reducing food waste can also be achieved through other small actions, such as meal planning, proper food storage, and creative use of leftovers. Being mindful of what you buy and storing food so it stays fresh for longer can help significantly reduce what ends up in the trash.

Reducing food waste is one important thing we can all do at home to save money and protect the planet. Food waste makes up a large part of what we throw away every day. According to Feeding America, one-third of all food goes unsold or uneaten every year in the U.S, while millions of people don't have enough to eat. This food waste ends up in landfills, where it contributes to the production of methane, a harmful, planet-warming gas.

Producing food also uses a lot of resources, such as water, land, energy, and labor, so throwing out large amounts of food makes all these resources go to waste. It also negatively impacts food availability and can contribute to increasing food prices, per the United Nations. 

What everyone's saying

Such home hacks are popular among people looking to save money and reduce waste.

"Wow! I learned something new," one impressed commenter wrote.

Others shared different hacks for keeping sugar soft, including one commenter who wrote, "Worked in a bakery and we put oranges in with sugar."

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