Make your own brown sugar

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
I was reading the WEB this morning and a friend of mine posted that the good part of all of the humidity we have been having is that their brown sugar unclumped and they were off to make cookies.

One post later her friend said they never buy brown sugar. They just make it up as they need it. One tbsp molasses to one cup of granulated sugar and stirr it up a bunch. Either use a fork or a mixer.

it was an Aha moment for me. Am I the only one that missed this one? For me brown sugar is always hard as a rock when I need it,
 

JoeV

Dough Boy
Site Supporter
I learned that recipe a long time ago, and I agree that unused brown sugar will clump in a relatively short amount of time. For someone who uses brown sugar infrequently, you might be less frustrated to make it as you go. DW makes lots of chocolate chip cookies for the grand kids, work and for us, so brown sugar gets used up rather quickly in our kitchen. I also use a packed TBSP for each batch of my Italian bread recipe.
 

ChowderMan

Pizza Chef
Super Site Supporter
back in the day . . . brown sugar was extracted early in the white sugar "refining" process - but I've read a couple places, now-a-days they refine everything to white then add back molasses to make light / dark brown sugar.

probably still some "artisan" sugar production....
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
CF - I bake very infrequently I would sorry about the apple ( or carrot suggested by DW) going bad. How long would think it would be good?

Chowder - I heard the same thing.

I like a "home spun" approach to things anyway.
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
I use brown sugar rarely also. I bought a clay disc (maybe terra cotta?) at Chef Central (I think; but I have seen them elsewhere also) that I soak in warm water for awhile and then remove from the water and place in the container with the brown sugar. It keeps the sugar soft.
 

chilefarmer

New member
CF - I bake very infrequently I would sorry about the apple ( or carrot suggested by DW) going bad. How long would think it would be good?

I have never had an apple go bad or rot. They just shrivel like dried apple slices. I cut them maybe 1/2" thick and only add a couple. CF
 

belaine

Bottle Washer
Super Site Supporter
I put a small damp sponge wrapped in wax paper in my brown sugar jar, works well.
 

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
I was reading the WEB this morning and a friend of mine posted that the good part of all of the humidity we have been having is that their brown sugar unclumped and they were off to make cookies.

One post later her friend said they never buy brown sugar. They just make it up as they need it. One tbsp molasses to one cup of granulated sugar and stirr it up a bunch. Either use a fork or a mixer.

it was an Aha moment for me. Am I the only one that missed this one? For me brown sugar is always hard as a rock when I need it,



I also make my own brown sugar by doing the same thing.

I'm so sick to death of store-bought brown sugar hardening up like a brick if it isn't all used within a certain time!! :sad:
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Thank you all for the suggestions fro keeping my sugar from clumping.

I truly only use brown sugar maybe twice a year. All that I have now is clumped. I can pop what I have in a microwave and soften it up till it's gone. I am sort of thinking that after it is gone, I will not buy what I use so little and molasses keeps a long time.
 

Rustpot

New member
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]White and brown Sugar in the 18th century frequently came in a cone form, because that is the shape the sugar was processed. It was wrapped in paper and sealed with a wax seal. Also known in the time period as loaf sugar. [/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]A unique and handy gadget called the sugar nippers for breaking the cones into usable pieces was used. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]At this site are copied from an 18th century original and are used for nipping pieces off of sugar cones. Also known as sugar pliers. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]http://jas-townsend.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_58&products_id=88[/FONT]


[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Why not keep new & clean pliers handy for your brown sugger. [/FONT]
 

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Never heard of that before.

I usually make only enough for what I'm going to use it for. To avoid hardened brown sugar later.
 

chilefarmer

New member
New tool for me also. I just shave off with a knife when I use it. We do still use the cone sugar for some things. I really Like it for baking certain kind of cookies and when making mole. We buy it at our mexican store. CF

 

Rustpot

New member
New tool for me also. I just shave off with a knife when I use it. We do still use the cone sugar for some things. I really Like it for baking certain kind of cookies and when making mole. We buy it at our mexican store. CF

I use my sugar nippers on sugar conse. I get alot of stuff like this, [sugar conse] in Spanish store's here in Florida.
 

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
Chef's Catalog is offering a storage bin for brown sugar that also comes with a disk that helps keep the brown sugar from becoming hard. :applause:
 

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lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
I have one of those terra cotta things cost a buck or 2 in a Tupperware container with my brown sugar. Just soak in water, dry off then place onto of sugar.
 

Shermie

Well-known member
Site Supporter
It only takes a few minutes. You add the amount of molasses to the white sugar according to the shade you want - light, medium or dark.

This is good because you can make the amount that you want or need and no more, keeping it from becoming hard!
 
It only takes a few minutes. You add the amount of molasses to the white sugar according to the shade you want - light, medium or dark.

This is good because you can make the amount that you want or need and no more, keeping it from becoming hard!

That's cool. Thanks for sharing..:)


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