How to Soften White Sugar: 4 Simple Methods for You

Knowing how to soften white sugar is essential, especially if you love making desserts or just about any dish requiring sugar. Now for the majority who do not know how to get started in the process, I have prepared a simple guide that won’t give you a hard time in softening white sugar.

White sugar, also called “fine sugar or extra-fine sugar” is a common table sugar that we all know. It is in every home’s sugar bowl, being used in food preparation, making drinks and so much more.

It is also one of the most common ingredients being called for when baking, which is why it is important to learn how to soften it properly to avoid any hassles when we need some of it fast. That is also the same exact reason I am putting this guide together and share what I know with you. Let’s get started and learn how to soften sugar correctly.

Using a Food Processor

Things You Will Need

• • A food processor
  • Large food storage bags
  • A meat tenderizer
  • Hardened white sugar

Directions

#1. Put The Sugar Cubes In The Food Storage Bag

Get the sugar cubes that you want to soften, and then put them in a storage bag. Seal the bag properly.

#2. Get The Meat Tenderizer And Start Softening The Sugar

Unlike butter that you need to leave on the table for half an hour or more to soften, sugar doesn’t need it. You can soften it right away by using meat tenderizer’s flat side. Now if you don’t have it, just swap it out with any solid, similar object, or a rolling pin.

You can start pounding the bag until the sugar is broken into smaller pieces. This process should make them smaller than they originally were, and in this state, they will be easier to process with a food processor.

#3. Get Your Food Processor And Start Softening The Sugar Further

Now that you have turned the white sugar smaller, you can easily process them in the machine. Put it in the bowl of the appliance, and switch it on to pulse for a couple of seconds so that you can soften the sugar easily and quickly.

#4. Put The Sugar To A Well-Sealed And Airtight Container

Transfer the processed white sugar to the airtight jar or container. Make sure that it is sealed until you are ready to use it. By keeping it in an airtight container, you can prevent ants and insects from ruining your sugar, just as what you should do when storing lard.

You should not keep it in an open container and put it in the cabinet, or else, insects and rats might contaminate it, making it useless and unsafe for health.

Quick Tip: Avoid over-processing the sugar in the food processor if you don’t want to turn it into powder.

There you have the easy steps to follow when softening white sugar. As you’d notice, you just have to use a meat-tenderizing hammer and a food processor to complete the task without any hassles. Now if you don’t have any of these tools in your kitchen, worry not, as I will share other methods with you. Check them out below.

Using A Food Steamer

The steamer isn’t only for steaming meats, vegetables, such as asparagus, or just about any food, but also for softening sugar. It is a useful piece of kitchen tool, which can provide you with plenty of uses, especially regarding softening hardened food, sugar included.

1. 1. Get your steamer and fill it with water, up two cups.
   2. Put the white sugar to soften in a bowl that is tolerant to high heat or better if you have a microwave-safe bowl. Of course, you don’t want your bowl to melt or break in the process of softening sugar. Thus, you should stay in safety by using a high heat resistant bowl in the steamer.
   3. Put the bowl of sugar inside the steaming pot, but make sure that the water is only half of your container’s height, or even less if needed.
   4. Cover the steamer to ensure that the heat will not escape and will circulate it inside.
   5. Boil the water with the bowl inside for up to seven minutes.
   6. Always check the water level to make sure that it won’t dry up as well as to replenish it when needed.
   7. After a few minutes, tap the sugar chunk using a fork to find out if it is breaking quickly already. If it is, you should be able to take the bowl out, and then start breaking the chunks with a spoon or fork to restore the sugar into their original form.

Again, fill up the steamer with about two cups of water and then put the white sugar in a high-heat resistant bowl. Put it inside the steamer and begin. Wait for a couple of minutes and then check if the chunks are easy to break using a fork or a spoon. Remember to monitor the water level to prevent the steamer from drying up, and then replenish the tank with water when needed.

Using A Paper Towel

Using this technique, you can easily soften the sugar through the moisture, which is eventually going to seep into the crystals. However, this method must only be used if you’re softening a small amount of sugar.

1. 1. Moisten a towel, but not to the point that it is dripping wet.
   2. Put it inside the container of the sugar.
   3. Set the container aside and then leave it overnight in the kitchen or in a dry place.
   4. Take the paper towel out, and then get a spoon to crush the white sugar to its original condition.

This method is simple and easy, but not for use in a bigger amount of sugar. Again, get a paper towel, put the towel inside the container, leave it overnight and then see if the sugar is softened with a fork or spoon in the next day.

Using A Pestle

This method shouldn’t be hard at all. All you need is a pestle or a meat-tenderizing hammer if you don’t have it. However, this technique can be a bit messy, but that might not be a problem if you’re going to follow these steps.

1. 1.  Put the hardened white sugar in a deep bowl.
   2. Spray your sugar lightly with bit water, not too much. Or else, your sugar will end up in its worse form than before.
   3. Put a towel over your sugar, which is inside a container or bowl to prevent the sugar from flying all over your countertop.
   4. Use the pestle or the meat tenderizer and pound the cloth in order to crush your sugar below. Do the same process until you have achieved the results you’re looking for.

There you have the best ways on how to soften white sugar. Choose from the above methods, including steaming or using a pestle, food processor or a paper towel, in completing the task. I hope that you learn something in the tutorial. The next time you need to soften sugar, you will not have a hard time to do it by using any of the techniques you learned today.

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