Light brown sugar has caramel color and caramel flavor. This variety is exquisite white sugar with molasses added. Black brown sugar is also refined white sugar, but more molasses is added to make its color and taste deeper. Muscovado sugar (also known as Barbados sugar) is an unrefined sucrose that naturally contains molasses. It has the deepest taste and is mostly used for pickles.
Sugarcane (the raw material used to produce brown sugar) is harvested from June to 65438+February, but the supermarket carries brown sugar all the year round. You will find light brown and dark brown sugar in bags or boxes in the baking aisle.
Storage and food safety
According to USDA, brown sugar will never go bad, but it is best to use it within two years after opening the package. Once the package is opened, it can be stored correctly in the food storage room, and can be stored for 18 to 24 months. Sugar manufacturers suggest that the quality of brown sugar is the best within six months after purchase and opening.
However, storing brown sugar correctly can be a challenge. Because most forms of brown sugar are sticky, they tend to agglomerate and become very hard if exposed to air. Some sugar factories suggest that you store it in a cool and humid place, in a rust-proof container with a tight cover or in any resealable moisture-proof plastic bag.
Refrigeration of brown sugar is not recommended. However, if you don't plan to use it right away, I suggest you freeze the brown sugar. Be sure to freeze the sugar in a sealed bag. When you need brown sugar, melt it and separate the lumps with a fork. If ice crystals form in the sugar, please stir it when it melts to prevent the sugar from being affected by moisture.
If your brown sugar hardens, you need to soften it before cooking. Softening it can make water return to sugar, so it is easier to measure and use. There are three basic ways to soften brown sugar.
Fast microwave method: put the hardened brown sugar into the safe bowl of the microwave oven and cover it with a wet tissue. Then cover the whole bowl with plastic wrap. The microwave oven can keep heating for two minutes at most. Take it out of the microwave oven, mash the sugar into a paste with a fork, and separate the sugar pieces. Sugar will harden again after cooling, so you can only heat the amount you intend to use in the microwave oven.
Fast oven method: put sugar in a heat-resistant plate and put it in an oven preheated to 250 degrees. Watch the sugar carefully and pull it out when it becomes soft. Depending on the quantity, it may take several minutes. This is the fastest way, but you just want to soften it as much as possible for immediate use. Once the sugar cools, it will harden again.
Slow softening method: If you need to soften brown sugar that may not be used immediately, this is the first choice. It takes more time, but the sugar will remain soft after cooling.
First, put the sugar in a sealed container. Then add water. Some cooks use a plastic wrap wrapped in wet tissues. However, you can also use a piece of bread or a few marshmallows. Seal the container for two days. When you reopen the candy, mash it with a fork and separate the candy pieces. Sugar should remain soft as long as it is kept in a sealed container.
Once the brown sugar is soft, you can cook with it, just like cooking and baking with other types of sugar. If you have a baking recipe that requires white refined sugar, you can use brown sugar instead. But because brown sugar is naturally soft and wet, baked goods may also be wet.