How To Soften Hard White Sugar

Learn how to soften hard white sugar so that you'll know exactly what to do when baking or making your morning cup of coffee! This staple ingredient is used for so many things that you most likely always have some on hand! In this post, we are going to discuss what to do if you find your sugar is as hard as a rock!

How To Fix Hard White Sugar

We've all been there: you reach for the bag of sugar, only to find it has hardened into a solid rock that seems impossible to scoop or measure. Whether it's due to humidity, improper storage, or just the natural tendency of sugar to clump together, hard white sugar can be extremely frustrating.

Don't worry; there are several simple and effective ways to soften hard white sugar and bring it back to its normal consistency. Here are the best methods for softening hard white sugar, including using heat, moisture, and other household items you may already have on hand!

Jump to:

• How To Fix Hard White Sugar
• Why Does White Sugar Get Hard
• Best Methods To Soften White Sugar
• 1. Paper Towel
• 2. Apple Slices
• 3. Pestle Or Meat Tenderizer
• 4. Oven
• 5. Microwave
• 6. Coffee Grinder Or Food Processor
• 7. Steaming
• Tips To Prevent White Sugar From Getting Hard
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Why Does White Sugar Get Hard

White sugar, just like any other type of sugar, clumps together and becomes hard when it is exposed to moisture or humidity. This is why it is important to transfer your sugar to an airtight container instead of keeping it in the bag that you bought it in.

Best Methods To Soften White Sugar

Don't worry if you've found your sugar to be hard, as it is super easy to fix using items you already have in your home!

1. Paper Towel

Adding a damp paper towel to your container of sugar will help to gradually bring moisture back into the hardened chunks in order to soften them. This isn't an immediate solution, but it will soften your sugar over the course of a few hours.

1. Dampen. Dampen a paper towel (only damp, not wet).
2. Place. Place the paper towel into the airtight container of sugar and let it sit overnight.
3. Soften. Remove the paper towel from the container and use a fork to crush the chunks of sugar back into their original state.

2. Apple Slices

Apple slices serve a similar function to the damp paper towel, as it will help to return the moisture to the sugar. Again, this method will take several hours in order to soften the sugar.

1. Cut. Slice an apple and remove the core.
2. Place. Place one or two apple slices on top of the sugar and close the container.
3. Wait. Leave the sealed container with the apples overnight.
4. Crush. Remove and discard the apple slices and use a fork to crush the chunks of sugar.

3. Pestle Or Meat Tenderizer

Using a pestle or meat tenderizer is an immediate way to soften your sugar, but it may be quite messy. I recommend doing this in an area of your kitchen that is easy to clean.

1. Prepare. Place the hardened chunk of sugar into a deep bowl.
2. Add water. Sprinkle a tiny bit of water over the sugar (it is very important that you only use a small amount of water, or else you could be making your problem worse).
3. Cover. Cover the bowl with a dish towel in order to minimize the mess.
4. Crush. Use your pestle or meat tenderizer to repeatedly hit the sugar in order to break up the chunks.

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4. Oven

Using the oven is a pretty quick way to soften your sugar and is actually the recommended method by many sugar companies.

1. Prepare. Place your hard sugar into a casserole dish.
2. Bake. Bake the sugar in the oven at the lowest temperature possible (about 150-200°F / 65-93°C) for 10-15 minutes.
3. Cool. Tap the sugar gently with a spoon to break up large chunks, and then allow the sugar to cool completely.
4. Break. Use a fork to break up any remaining chunks.

5. Microwave

The microwave is a super fast way to soften sugar, but be careful that you don't overcook it and melt the sugar. It's a very quick method that is ideal if you need your sugar softened in a pinch.

1. Prepare. Place your hardened sugar into a glass microwave-safe container.
2. Spritz. Lightly spritz the sugar with a very small amount of water.
3. Heat. Heat for 5 minutes using high power.
4. Break. Use a fork to break the sugar into its original state.
5. Repeat if needed. If you need to repeat the process, make sure you let the sugar cool completely before placing it back into the microwave.

6. Coffee Grinder Or Food Processor

Since a food processor and coffee grinder are used to break foods up into smaller pieces, they also can easily crush up hardened sugar immediately! However, don't blend for too long, or you could crush the sugar into a powdered state.

1. Add. Fill your food processor or coffee grinder 50% of the way full.
2. Crush. Switch on and pulse a couple of times to break up the large chunks.

7. Steaming

Another quick and easy method to soften sugar is to use steam. This is simple to do and only takes a few minutes.

1. Fill. Fill a large pot with 2 cups of water.
2. Prepare. Place your hardened sugar into a heat-safe bowl and set the bowl in the center of the pot, ensuring the water only covers less than half of the height of the bowl.
3. Cover. Place the lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil.
4. Boil. Boil for 5-7 minutes, adding more water as needed.
5. Crush. When the sugar can easily be broken with a spoon, remove it from the heat, crush it, and allow it to cool completely.

Tips To Prevent White Sugar From Getting Hard

• Keep your sugar stored in an airtight container.
• Place a fresh slice of bread into the sugar container to soak up any excess moisture.
• If you have a hot house, you can keep your sugar stored in the refrigerator. However, this should become its permanent storage location. Switching the sugar back and forth between the cool fridge and room temperature could alter the texture.

I hope these methods have helped you soften your white sugar properly! Leave a comment down below, and let me know what you think!

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