Sugar is one of the staple ingredients and brown sugar is the most popular choice of bakers and coffee lovers because it adds a slight sweetness to the food without overpowering the other flavors.
Brown sugar has a deeper flavor with caramel and molasses hint. However, brown sugar tends to become clumpy, which is why many people consider freezing brown sugar.
So, if you are in the same boat and wondering if it’s possible to store brown sugar in the freezer or not, we are sharing an in-depth guide with you!
Can You Store Brown Sugar In The Freezer?
Storing The Brown Sugar In Freezer
It is completely possible to store brown sugar in a freezer and you can actually store it for an indefinite time period as long as you use a well-sealed container. In addition, you must use the coldest part of the freezer,
Usually, the users don’t need to store the brown sugar in the freezer because it can last a long time but some brands recommend users to utilize it within six months of purchasing.
For this reason, it’s recommended that you freeze the brown sugar because it’s prone to spoilage and clumping. However, you must not refrigerate the brown sugar because it can lead to a loss of flavor.
Having said that, if you won’t use brown sugar within six months of purchase, it’s better to freeze it. In addition, you must use a cool and moist environment for storage.
That’s because the moisture helps prevent the hardening of the sugar. On the other hand, people living in a dryer environment should freeze the sugar – it helps minimize the chances of hardening.
The Step-By-Step Guide To Freeze Brown Sugar
Brown sugar has a softer texture as compared to white sugar because it’s inculcated with molasses, which is why you have to protect it from exposure to air.
Contrary to white sugar, brown sugar can achieve an unpleasant state quite quickly, which makes it appear spoiled. For this reason, freezing brown sugar is a convenient and advantageous option.
The most common issue with freezing and/or refrigerating brown sugar is that it can absorb odors, so you’ve to consider the location of freezing.
To illustrate, if the brown sugar is stored near fragrant foods, it will pick up the flavor. So, let’s see which steps you’ve to take for freezing the brown sugar!
- Choosing The Airtight Container
First of all, you have to use an airtight container because it prevents the flow of air into the container, which helps keep the unwanted odors away. In addition, it prevents spoilage of brown sugar.
This is important because brown sugar has higher absorption, which is why it should be kept away from the air. For this purpose, you should purchase new storage boxes and use them to store the sugar.
That’s because the older airtight containers might have odors of previously-stored of items. In addition to this, make sure that you purchase small airtight containers for freezing.
This is because if the airtight containers are opened too much, sugar will lose its capacity to keep the air out. The small airtight containers help limit exposure to air.
As a result, the brown sugar will be able to retain its texture rather than become soft and turn into hard crystals. In addition to using airtight containers, you can invest in re-sealable freezer bags.
- Select The Location
Once you have selected the desired packaging container for the brown sugar, you’ve to select the right location in the freezer. It’s recommended that you put it in the coldest part of the freezer.
It’s better that you keep the bag or container away from the freezer door because it undergoes significant temperature fluctuations, which can cause spoilage of the brown sugar.
Secondly, you have to put them as far away from the fragrant and odor-rich foods as possible because you don’t want the brown sugar to taste different.
Freezing The Dark Brown Sugar vs Light Brown Sugar
The primary difference between dark and light brown sugar is the quantity of molasses it has. Molasses is inculcated into refined white sugar to produce brown sugar.
When more molasses are added, the brown sugar will be darker. Light brown sugar has a molasses content, ranging from 3.0% to 3.5% but dark brown sugar has around 6.5% of molasses.
As far as the amount of moisture is concerned, it increases with molasses but the difference might be subtle. All in all, the freezing and storage method is the same for light brown sugar and dark brown sugar.
It’s recommended that you keep the sugar moister as it prevents spoilage caused by temperature fluctuations.
Using The Frozen Brown Sugar
Using frozen brown sugar is quite simple as you only need to defrost it for two to three hours before using it. In case there are ice crystals in the sugar, you can stir them after it’s thawed (they aren’t harmful).
Stirring is recommended because it helps prevent the damage that can be caused by moisture – it’s not very harmful but can lead to the clumping of sugar crystals.
Does Freezing Have An Impact On Brown Sugar?
If you are worried that freezing brown sugar causes adverse impacts on taste or texture, there is nothing to be worried about. In fact, US Food Safety & Inspection Service recommends freezing it.
Freezing brown sugar is a reliable method of preserving flavour and texture. All in all, it can be frozen for as long as you want because it doesn’t get spoiled.
However, it’s recommended that you consume brown sugar within two years of freezing, or else it will be too hard to consume. Also, freezing will trap its moisture, which prevents solidification but up to a certain extent only.
On the other hand, if you want to use brown sugar for baking, make sure you thaw it properly, especially if you cannot add more moisture to the baking recipe.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that you can store the brown sugar in the freezer because it prevents spoilage and clumping of the sugar. However, you must avoid refrigerating it as it can lead to clumping!