During the holidays, I read that keeping brown sugar in glass jars help to keep them from getting concrete hard. I put the brown sugar in two jars (did not have a jar large enough for the entire box), and have been happily using the brown sugar. However, this morning, I ran out of sugar in the jar I already opened and had to open the second jar. Concrete hard! I don't know what happened. Is there a difference between jars? Is there anyway to soften the sugar in the second jar?

i have heard that if you put a slice of white bread with the brown sugar it will soften it

put a slice of bread in with the sugar. I never tried it but gramma swore by it

It must have not had a tight enough seal. Try zapping it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time, it should soften up :D:D:D

Absolutely works, I often soften my brown sugar this way as I don't use it often and just leave it in the box after open.

I purchase 2 lb bags of brown sugar. Once they are opened, I close the by rolling down the top and putting a rubber band around it, top/bottom.

Then I take a new zipper bag and put a few drops of water in the bottom, then insert the closed bag of brown sugar. When I need to use it, it is always soft.

June in Cincinnati

I buy brown sugar from Sam's Club and put it into a Rubbermaid storage container with the flip closures on the side (similar to Lock-N-Lock). The rubber seal around the top makes a tight seal and the brown sugar stays soft.

The bread will do the trick ... or an apple.

Careful with the microwave ... overdo it and you'll have a total meltdown!

I use a brown bear disk in with the brown sugar. I keep my sugar in a tupperware container with the brown disk. works well

http://askville.amazon.com/prevent-d...estId=30850176

scroll way down to see the disk. You can buy these at Bed Bath and Beyond or other kitchen stores

My daughter told me about the Brown Bears and said she found them at a Dollar Store. I want some!
thanks for sharing that tip!

June in Cincinnati

I've used them and I know some swear by them. I have not had great success with them. The apple worked better! Of course, don't leave it there "forever"!

I used to use the bread and it works. Now I, too, put it in the microwave for a few seconds at a time if it gets hard.

After microwaving it, DO NOT TOUCH it with your fingers to see if it is soft....I BURNED mine doing that. Use a fork or some utencil. :roll:

It does not take long in the microwave and that works well. I use tupperware cannisters now and never have trouble anymore.

I just put a slice of bread. Stays soft.

a slice of bread works. It also works for keeping cookies soft. I worked in a bakery for a while and they made us put bread on the cookies over night. :)

This does work. I have a slice of bread in my bag right now. Change out the bread when necessary.

I put a saltine cracker in my brown sugar canister. Never had a problem keeping is soft. Maybe I just use it before it can.

I store mine in the fridge in the bag it comes in and that isn't even sealed tight. I have no more hard brown sugar....

I bought one of the clay discs that you wet and put in the sugar container. The brown sugar will stay soft. I take it out and re wet it every six months or so. It is a non glazed clay pottery product, looks like the flower pot clay but I think made for food use.

That's good to know info. Now where were you ladies when I was much younger and the brown sugar was hard as a brick?

Gramma knew what she was talking about! I put a slice of bread in the jar and the top half of the brown sugar is nice and soft. Not sure if the bread has to be closer to the bottom half to get the bottom soft, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. So does anyone think it was the jar that created the hardness? I'm thinking it won't do any harm to transfer the soft sugar to another jar and see if it stays soft.

A big thanks to everyone for their advice!

an apple slice will work too

Oh, those are so cute! At $2-3 a pop, I can afford to purchase several to keep on hand in the event a friend tells me she's experiencing the trauma of hard brown sugar. I can just pull a little bear out of the drawer, give it to her and be the favorite friend for life! LOL.

A slice of bread will do the trick. I haven't had a problem since I started keeping it in a tightly sealed plastic container.

Yep, a half slice of white bread will keep your brown sugar soft. The bread will get hard but it works for some reason and doesn't get moldy...hmmmmmmmmmm

In a pinch, I have put a piece of plastic wrap on top of the sugar and then a piece of damp paper towel on top of that and put the lid on my plastic container. Sounds like you just need something that has a bit of moisture in it to keep the sugar from hardening. I do like the brown bear idea though.

Bread, I always remember my grandma having bread in her jug of brown sugar.

I always use a slice of bread and change it ever so often when it gets dried out.

The little clay shapes that you wet maybe twice a year and pat dry and put in any container work perfect. Have used for years

This works realllllllly good!!!! Have used it for years.

I have the brown bear disc as well. I think it is just terra cotta clay fired. I wonder if a flower pot chip would work the same, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

I didn't read all of the thread but you need a "Sugar Bear". It's a clay un-glazed bear that you "bury" in your brown sugar. The instructions are on the pkg of how to prepare the bear. I've had mine for years and love him!

I use bread, however, I use the heel of the bread - usually never eaten, just discarded and it works quite well So what are we going to bake?

I also have had the bear disk for years and the sugar is always soft

It does! Same with cookies, I like my chocolate chip cookies soft and DH likes them crunchy, so I put a slice of bread in with some of them (in a different container) and mine stay soft and chewy! Always have a piece of bread in my brown sugar in the summer time.

I think that I have done every way possible to keep brown sugar from getting hard. A couple of months ago I thought what if I put it in the freezer. I used a Rubber Maid snap lid container. When I want some brown sugar I take it from the freezer and it thaws in a just a few minutes and it is never hard. It really works!!!

I put a slice of bread in my canister and haven't had a problem just lay the bread on top of sugar i too buy the big bag at Sam's

My grama and mom did too! And it does work!

Gramma was right! I do it and even keep cookies soft that way. ( good if you like your cookies soft)