This Bear-Shaped Tool Will Keep Your Brown Sugar From Hardening During Storage
Not to be dramatic, but there's no greater heartbreak than being ready to bake something delicious in the kitchen and reaching for your brown sugar to realize it has hardened since your last use. Brown sugar needs proper moisture to stay in tiptop shape, which can be hard to maintain after you open the bag. Luckily, this handy brown sugar bear is a quick fix for at-home bakers.
For those wondering, brown sugar gets hard during storage because each grain is coated in a layer of molasses, according to The Kitchn. So when you pick up a fresh bag of brown sugar from the store and open it up, you can easily scoop out a cup or spoonful for whatever recipe you're working with. When the brown sugar is exposed to air, that molasses evaporates causing the brown sugar to become dry, hard, and difficult to work with.
To remedy this common kitchen issue, Bed Bath & Beyond sells a "Brown Sugar Bear" for $4, made from a specially fired clay that is totally food safe. When you go to store your brown sugar all you have to do is soak the bear in water for 20 minutes, pat it dry so it doesn't drip, and put it in the same container with your brown sugar. The tool helps sugar stay fresh for up to six months and one reviewer said they've been using it for their sugar storage for over a decade.
The best part is, the clay bear works for other foods that need moisture to stay fresh like marshmallows and dried fruit or can be used without being soaked in water to absorb moisture from crackers and chips to ensure they stay crispy. Where has this been all my life?!
