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Brown sugar blues

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notbob

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Mar 20, 2016, 1:31:59 PM3/20/16
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Making some oaty-meal cookies. Calls fer 1/3 C brn sugar. Arghhh!

What brn sugar I have is pretty caked up. So, I jes dumped a buncha
lumpy brn sugar into my large wire strainer and used the fine particles
that sifted through. I then tossed the reamaining brn sugar rocks in
da' trash. I'll buy some new stuff next week. ;)

nb

graham

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Mar 20, 2016, 1:36:32 PM3/20/16
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There are all sorts of ways of keeping it moist that involve apple
slices, soaked terra cotta etc.
However, I put 100g lots in small ziplocks. 3 or 4 of these go into a
larger ziplock, then a several of these go into an even larger ziplock.
Seems a bit fiddly but the triple sealing seems to work.
Graham

21bla...@gmail.com

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Mar 20, 2016, 1:46:23 PM3/20/16
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i make my own

you need a little Molasses though, and regular white sugar


and yes, reviving old brown sugar is very easy
[search for the brown sugar revivalisting]

marc

notbob

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Mar 20, 2016, 1:47:04 PM3/20/16
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On 2016-03-20, graham <gst...@shaw.ca> wrote:

> Seems a bit fiddly but the triple sealing seems to work.

I can relate, but am currently trying to reduce plastic use in my
kitchen. I'll jes buy new.

nb

Dave Smith

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Mar 20, 2016, 3:35:48 PM3/20/16
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You pitched it?? You could have put a piece of bread in with it and
the sugar would have resurrected within a day or two.

Brooklyn1

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Mar 20, 2016, 3:49:47 PM3/20/16
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A piece of citrus rind freshens sugar.

notbob

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Mar 20, 2016, 3:51:57 PM3/20/16
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On 2016-03-20, Dave Smith <adavid...@sympatico.ca> wrote:

> You pitched it?? You could have put a piece of bread in with it and
> the sugar would have resurrected within a day or two.

And exactly what brand of bread accomplishes this miraculous feat?

nb

Dave Smith

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Mar 20, 2016, 6:04:16 PM3/20/16
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Just about any white or whole wheat. It works miracles. I have a half
slice of bread in my tupperware sugar canister that I put in there years
ago. I rarely even use the regular brown sugar except for baking, but it
is always soft and moist. I keep a piece about two inches square in the
small pot I keep the demererra in and it stays nice and moist.

dsi1

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Mar 20, 2016, 6:20:57 PM3/20/16
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I think a lot depends on the relative humidity of your location. It averages about 70% over here so we don't have this problem.

Julie Bove

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Mar 20, 2016, 6:35:23 PM3/20/16
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"dsi1" <dsi...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:138ca627-4449-46f2...@googlegroups.com...
I don't usually have the problem either but if it does get like that, it can
still be used. Even if you don't want to take the time to break it up, you
can put a chunk in oatmeal and it will melt.

dsi1

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Mar 20, 2016, 6:49:57 PM3/20/16
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On Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 12:35:23 PM UTC-10, Julie Bove wrote:
> "dsi1" <dsi> wrote in message
We're lucky the the US - the Chinese have soak their brown sugar in water before they can use it!

http://msihua.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/brown_sugar.jpg

Julie Bove

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Mar 20, 2016, 6:53:01 PM3/20/16
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"dsi1" <dsi...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:be054172-563a-4be1...@googlegroups.com...
Or grate it.

Dave Smith

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Mar 20, 2016, 7:13:40 PM3/20/16
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On 2016-03-20 6:20 PM, dsi1 wrote:

>> Just about any white or whole wheat. It works miracles. I have a
>> half slice of bread in my tupperware sugar canister that I put in
>> there years ago. I rarely even use the regular brown sugar except
>> for baking, but it is always soft and moist. I keep a piece about
>> two inches square in the small pot I keep the demererra in and it
>> stays nice and moist.
>
> I think a lot depends on the relative humidity of your location. It
> averages about 70% over here so we don't have this problem.
>

Not to pick nits or anything, but the bread really does work, and it
works like magic. It is quite humid around here in the summer, so we
never have to worry about brown sugar hardening in the spring, summer
and early fall. Winter air is dry, so brown sugar will harden in
storage..... but not if you stick a piece of bread in with it.


notbob

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Mar 20, 2016, 7:17:22 PM3/20/16
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On 2016-03-20, Dave Smith <adavid...@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> Just about any white or whole wheat. It works miracles. I have a half
> slice of bread in my tupperware sugar canister that I put in there years
> ago.

Somehow, I jes can't get stoked about "Years" old bread in my sugar.

nb

Dave Smith

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Mar 20, 2016, 7:20:36 PM3/20/16
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No one is asking for a sandwich or a piece of toast made with it.

dsi1

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Mar 20, 2016, 7:22:31 PM3/20/16
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I've heard of this trick before. Unfortunately, I've never gotten a chance to use it.

Doris Night

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Mar 20, 2016, 10:31:36 PM3/20/16
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On Sun, 20 Mar 2016 16:22:27 -0700 (PDT), dsi1 <dsi...@yahoo.com>
wrote:
I do that when my brown sugar gets rock-hard. The next day it's like
new.

Doris

Julie Bove

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Mar 20, 2016, 11:08:51 PM3/20/16
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"notbob" <not...@nothome.com> wrote in message
news:dl8pbv...@mid.individual.net...
Yep. You can buy a little disc to put in there too but really, sugar is
cheap! I buy it in small amounts unless I know I am going to be doing a lot
of baking. No big deal if you throw a little away.

Sky

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Mar 21, 2016, 4:53:56 AM3/21/16
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Just last week I read in a cooking magazine (e.g., Cooking Light, Food &
Wine, Cook's Country, Cook's Illustrated, or Cuisine at Home) that
keeping a marshmallow or two in with the brown sugar will keep it from
bricking or getting clumpy. My guess is it works and might be a
preferable alternative to a slice of bread ;-)

Sky

================================
Kitchen Rule #1 - Use the timer!
Kitchen Rule #2 - Cook's choice!
================================

Nancy2

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Mar 21, 2016, 8:43:30 AM3/21/16
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I have a really old T'ware container that works great. It has a
"burpable" lid, which is necessary to get the extra air out.
C&H comes in a re-sealable bag, which also works. A single
Ziplock isn't air-tight enough. But you could re-use a C&H bag.

N.

Dave Smith

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Mar 21, 2016, 9:13:20 AM3/21/16
to
On 2016-03-21 4:54 AM, Sky wrote:
> On 3/20/2016 12:31 PM, notbob wrote:
>> Making some oaty-meal cookies. Calls fer 1/3 C brn sugar. Arghhh!
>>
>> What brn sugar I have is pretty caked up. So, I jes dumped a buncha
>> lumpy brn sugar into my large wire strainer and used the fine particles
>> that sifted through. I then tossed the reamaining brn sugar rocks in
>> da' trash. I'll buy some new stuff next week. ;)
>
>
> Just last week I read in a cooking magazine (e.g., Cooking Light, Food &
> Wine, Cook's Country, Cook's Illustrated, or Cuisine at Home) that
> keeping a marshmallow or two in with the brown sugar will keep it from
> bricking or getting clumpy. My guess is it works and might be a
> preferable alternative to a slice of bread ;-)
>
>

What's wrong with a piece of bread in the sugar? It works almost like
magic. The bread in my sugar canister sits at the bottom and you don't
see it. You have no trouble digging your way down to it because it does
such a good job of keeping the sugar soft.



Cindy Hamilton

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Mar 21, 2016, 9:34:56 AM3/21/16
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Rather than mess around putting foreign objects in
my brown sugar, I tightly close the plastic bag
that it came in, then put it inside a Rubbermaid
container that is reasonably air-tight. I open
it every morning to get brown sugar for my oatmeal,
and it never gets hard. By the end of the bag it's
not as soft as when it was new, but it's eminently
scoopable.

Cindy Hamilton

sf

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Mar 21, 2016, 9:48:29 AM3/21/16
to
On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 03:54:04 -0500, Sky <skyh...@sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

>
> Just last week I read in a cooking magazine (e.g., Cooking Light, Food &
> Wine, Cook's Country, Cook's Illustrated, or Cuisine at Home) that
> keeping a marshmallow or two in with the brown sugar will keep it from
> bricking or getting clumpy. My guess is it works and might be a
> preferable alternative to a slice of bread ;-)
>
> Sky

I don't have trouble with brown sugar hardening where I live because
of the high humidity, but it happens an hour away. DD's brown sugar
was like a brick, so I dug a hole in it and inserted an apple slice.
Completely forgot about it until I went to use it again and was
surprised by how soft and pliable the brown sugar was. I assumed
she'd purchased more until I discovered the apple slice. It was as
dried out as an apple doll's head, but still working its magic.

--

sf

sf

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Mar 21, 2016, 9:50:26 AM3/21/16
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There are probably many alternatives that work equally well for
keeping brown sugar soft. I'd never heard the bread thing before
this.

--

sf

sf

unread,
Mar 21, 2016, 9:51:40 AM3/21/16
to
I can't begin to tell you how many people don't do that - and then
they wonder why they have ants in the pantry.

--

sf

graham

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Mar 21, 2016, 10:03:26 AM3/21/16
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On 21/03/2016 6:43 AM, Nancy2 wrote:
> I have a really old T'ware container that works great. It has a
> "burpable" lid, which is necessary to get the extra air out.
> C&H comes in a re-sealable bag, which also works. A single
> Ziplock isn't air-tight enough.

Which is why I triple bag the sugar.

Dave Smith

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Mar 21, 2016, 10:04:14 AM3/21/16
to
That sounds like a lot of work compared to what I do. Years ago I put a
lice of bread in the Rubbermaid tub. When I buy brown sugar I open the
bag and dump it into that old bin with that old piece of bread on the
bottom, and I never have a problem with sugar clumping.

There have been cases where we bought more sugar and left it in the bag
and it eventually clumped up into blocks. I dumped the rock like sugar
into the bin with that old slice of bread and by the next day I had
nice , moist, soft brown sugar.



Dave Smith

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Mar 21, 2016, 10:07:57 AM3/21/16
to
On 2016-03-21 9:48 AM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Mar 2016 03:54:04 -0500, Sky <skyh...@sbcglobal.net>
>
> I don't have trouble with brown sugar hardening where I live because
> of the high humidity, but it happens an hour away. DD's brown sugar
> was like a brick, so I dug a hole in it and inserted an apple slice.
> Completely forgot about it until I went to use it again and was
> surprised by how soft and pliable the brown sugar was. I assumed
> she'd purchased more until I discovered the apple slice. It was as
> dried out as an apple doll's head, but still working its magic.
>


Our summer weather is humid enough that we don't need to worry about
sugar hardening into rocks. Winter weather is much drier. I tried one
of those clay disks that you soak and then put into the sugar. It worked
okay in the sugar bowl, but had to be refreshed weekly. Bread did a
much better job and does not need to be replaced.

MisterDiddyWahDiddy

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Mar 21, 2016, 10:08:42 AM3/21/16
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On Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 9:31:36 PM UTC-5, Doris Night wrote:
>
>
> I do that when my brown sugar gets rock-hard. The next day it's like
> new.
>
Most of the old ladies here have never had a rock-hard brown sugar.
I'm sure that some of them are envious.
>
> Doris

--Bryan

Roy

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Mar 21, 2016, 10:35:24 AM3/21/16
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I re-cycle old peanut butter jars...the big plastic ones. When thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, they are great for storing yellow or brown sugar.
I place a layer of cling film over the jar before sealing and it works quite well. I use them for icing sugar as well.

====

notbob

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Mar 21, 2016, 10:50:26 AM3/21/16
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On 2016-03-21, graham <gst...@shaw.ca> wrote:

>> "burpable" lid, which is necessary to get the extra air out.

WTF is "extra air"?

nb

Brooklyn1

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Mar 21, 2016, 1:37:50 PM3/21/16
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You sound like someone who uses three condoms... then why bother???
It must be a hassle futzing with several zip-locs for a stinkin' spoon
of sugar... as if I believe you. I keep brown sugar in a one quart
glass mayo jar. I don't store foods long term in plastic bags,
especially for something used often like sugar... I bet you wash those
three condoms and been reusing the same ones. LOL

Sky

unread,
Mar 21, 2016, 11:04:10 PM3/21/16
to
;-) Nothing is wrong with using bread to keep brown sugar loose. Isn't
it nice to have more options.

Nancy2

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Mar 22, 2016, 12:37:51 PM3/22/16
to
Notbob, sorry, that was a silly thing to say. Pretend I left
the word "extra" out.

In any event you could figure out what I meant.

N.

MisterDiddyWahDiddy

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Mar 22, 2016, 1:40:55 PM3/22/16
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You're probably one of folks who never changes the air in his tires.

On an unrelated note:

OK, something just kind of hit me today. I thought about the expression, "Fly in the ointment." You know, it's ointment. It's not like you're going to be eating it or anything. It's just ointment. Pick the damned fly out and use the damned ointment. Jiminy, it's just ointment.
>
> nb

--Bryan

Brooklyn1

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Mar 22, 2016, 5:03:41 PM3/22/16
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bwrrrryan-simmons wrote:
>
>On an unrelated note:
>
>OK, something just kind of hit me today. I thought about the expression, "Fly in the ointment."
>You know, it's ointment. It's not like you're going to be eating it or anything. It's just ointment.
>Pick the damned fly out and use the damned ointment. Jiminy, it's just ointment.
>
>Bwrrryan

Ointment Schmointment... it's that fifty five gallon drum of vaselene
what lives alongside your bed... wouldn't surprise me you had a
LockNLube Zerk implanted in your anal sphincter for your pneumatic
grease gun. LOL-LOL
http://www.amazon.com/LockNLube-Grease-Gun-Coupler-Lock-/dp/B00H7LPKKU/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1458679469&sr=8-8&keywords=zerks
From now until forever I'll never think of Bwrrryan without thinking
LockNLube... LockNLube, I'm laughing so hard I hope I can eat dinner.
LOL-LOL-LOL

leno...@yahoo.com

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Mar 22, 2016, 8:10:52 PM3/22/16
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On Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 3:35:48 PM UTC-4, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2016-03-20 1:31 PM, notbob wrote:
> > Making some oaty-meal cookies. Calls fer 1/3 C brn sugar. Arghhh!
> >
> > What brn sugar I have is pretty caked up. So, I jes dumped a buncha
> > lumpy brn sugar into my large wire strainer and used the fine particles
> > that sifted through. I then tossed the reamaining brn sugar rocks in
> > da' trash. I'll buy some new stuff next week. ;)
> >
>
>
> You pitched it?? You could have put a piece of bread in with it and
> the sugar would have resurrected within a day or two.

Or maybe one could just put it in the type of steamer with the holes near the top, so nothing leaks out? (It looks like a double boiler from a distance, for those who don't know.) I can't imagine what would go wrong with that, unless you forget it for an hour and either it would get too wet or the water would dry up and it would burn.

Lenona.

jinx the minx

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Mar 22, 2016, 8:29:26 PM3/22/16
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I just stick mine in the microwave for a few seconds. Instantly useable.
No waste.

--
jinx the minx

John Kuthe

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Mar 22, 2016, 11:18:21 PM3/22/16
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On Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 11:40:55 AM UTC-6, MisterDiddyWahDiddy wrote:
> On Monday, March 21, 2016 at 9:50:26 AM UTC-5, notbob wrote:
> > On 2016-03-21, graham <gst...@shaw.ca> wrote:
> >
> > >> "burpable" lid, which is necessary to get the extra air out.
> >
> > WTF is "extra air"?
> >
> You're probably one of folks who never changes the air in his tires.
...
> --Bryan

Changing the air in what tires? On your car? Bicycle, etc? Never heard such a thing.

John Kuthe...

notbob

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Mar 23, 2016, 11:47:39 AM3/23/16
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On 2016-03-23, jinx the minx <jinx...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I just stick mine in the microwave for a few seconds. Instantly useable.
> No waste.

I haven't heard that one. Now, I wish I still had those brn sugar
rocks. I'd try all these no-fail suggestions. ;)

nb

dsi1

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Mar 23, 2016, 2:17:26 PM3/23/16
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That's what I'd do. It seems so obvious. It makes me wish I had some rock hard brown sugar. :)

Brooklyn1

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Mar 23, 2016, 2:55:37 PM3/23/16
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notbob wrote:
>jinxminx2 wrote:
>
>>I just stick mine in the microwave for a few seconds. Instantly useable.
>>No waste.
>
>I haven't heard that one. Now, I wish I still had those brn sugar
>rocks. I'd try all these no-fail suggestions. ;)

Hardened brown sugar is terrific for making Rock & Rum.
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