Can Brown Sugar Go Bad?: Noticed the brown sugar packet in your pantry after years and having large clumps in it. Don’t worry, here we have covered the solutions for Can Brown Sugar Go Bad?, How To Soften Hard Brown Sugar?, Spoilage Signs, proper storage tips, and many more. So dig deep into this article and gain complete knowledge about does brown sugar go bad if not refrigerated. Also, curious to know the shelf life of brown sugar when it is unopened and opened just dive into this guide without any delay.
- Can Brown Sugar Go Bad? | How To Tell If Brown Sugar Is Bad
- How Long Does Brown Sugar Last
- Softening Hardened Brown Sugar
- Can You Substitute Brown Sugar For White Sugar?
- How To Store Brown Sugar
- FAQs on How to Know if Brown Sugar is Bad
Can Brown Sugar Go Bad? | How To Tell If Brown Sugar Is Bad
No, brown sugar can’t go bad because it is not a water-based ingredient. If it includes water content then it may lead to mold growth easily and make it spoiled. But brown sugar is a dry ingredient and it is a shelf-stable product that has a longer lifespan when it is stored properly.
Having a shelf life indefinite can’t stop from spoilage of any product if you behave carelessly with it. At some point, it may come in contact with moisture stuff or any pantry pests then you should toss the remaining brown sugar. Want to understand it clearly then check the discussion on signs of spoilage of brown sugar below:
- Mold or any other Organic Bacterial Growth: Usually mold growth doesn’t happen with sugar ingredients unless it got moistured all of a sudden. At this point, you need to discard the whole packet or bag or contanier.
- Pantry Insects (Dead or Alive), Larvae, or Eggs: From nowhere it comes into the packets or bags when it is in the pantry left open for a longer time. Hence, it is unsafe to use in recipes.
Some of the other odd signs that make you compromise like spoiled ones but actually not. Such signs are sugar clump and smell off. These are safe to eat in the future.
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How Long Does Brown Sugar Last
Brown sugar stays fine indefinitely for pretty much time until it is stored in appropriate conditions. If you want to go with the best date printed on the label then no issues go with it but it doesn’t mean brown sugar goes bad after the expiration date. It’s just lost its best quality as time passes but it is safe to consume and use in any of the dishes.
Also, when it passed the data, you will likely see the clumpy sugar but softening hard brown sugar is pretty easy if you follow the below section. Before that check out this brief shelf life of the brown sugar table and use it as a quick reference.
| Brown Sugar Conditions | Pantry | Freezer |
| By regulation | 2 years | N/A |
| Stored properly | Indefinitely | Indefinitely |
Just download it and share it with your friends to make them aware of the brown sugar shelf life. 
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Ingredients: Brown Sugar
Nutritional Information
Serving Size – 5 g (1tbspoon)
No. of servings per pack – 100
| Nutrients | Per 100 g | Per Serving (5 g) | % RDA Per Serving |
| Energy (Kcal) | 370 | 18.50 | 0.93 |
| Potassium (mg) | 126 | 6.30 | 0.18* |
| Calcium (mg) | 55 | 2.75 | 0.275* |
| Magnesium (mg) | 28 | 1.40 | 0.003* |
| Sodium (mg) | 4 | 0.20 | 0.01 |
| Phosphorous (mg) | 3.5 | 0.18 | 0.018* |
| Iron (mg) | 1 | 0.05 | 0.263* |
| Protein (g) | 1 | 0.05 | 0.09* |
| Fat (g) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 92.5 | 4.63 | 9.26** |
| of which Sugar (g) | 90 | 4.50 | 9.01** |
| Added Sugar (g) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
*Based on ICMR – RDA 2020 for Sedentary Man
**World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends free sugar intake at all stages of life to under 10% of physical calories. This equals a maximum of 50g of sugar per day for the average adult (at a calorific intake of 2000 Kcal)
Softening Hardened Brown Sugar
Hardened brown sugar is not spoiled and it can be softened easily use it in your recipes. Usually, we measure sugar using a teaspoon, tablespoon, or measuring cup( if a huge amount) but we can’t measure it with the clumps. So, we face plenty of issues with hardened brown sugar.
The best way to soften the sugar immediately is with an electric mixer or fork. If it is too hard to break then use the plastic zip lock bags and beat them into small pieces. Still struggling with the large clump then microwave it for a minute to soften it. Later on, you can use a fork for smaller pieces. One more tip to soften the brown sugar clump, keep an apple wedge in the bag or container for a couple of hours, and then you’re good to go with softened brown sugar.
How To Store Brown Sugar
The process of storing brown sugar is simple just like other sugar types. Store it in cool or dry areas such as the cupboard in the kitchen pantry, or on the counter of the kitchen. Also, remember to keep your brown sugar away from the heat sources like sunlight, radiators, ovens, and moist content like water.
Due to moisture sugar easily hardens into large clumps. So, take care in storing brown sugar. When it is an unopened packet, then you can freely leave it in the kitchen. But for the open brown sugar packets, store the remaining sugar in an airtight container or use the reusable bags and seal the bag tightly.
If you store it without proper sealing it may come into contact with moist or pantry bugs thus it goes bad. Also, wrapping the product works best when you use it within a couple of months. Storing the brown sugar in the refrigerator is not so recommendable unless you have a problem with pantry storage.
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FAQs on How to Know if Brown Sugar is Bad
1. When should you throw out brown sugar?
The estimated period of brown sugar shelf life is 18 months plus indefinite. If you find any pantry pests or moisture in your sugar then it’s time to throw it out.
2. Does brown sugar grow mold?
Yes, brown sugar can go mold in rare cases because of the humid environment surrounding it for a longer time. Also, it smells weird like funky, musty, mushroomy, or old cheese. If you find any of these with your brown sugar then discard them.
3. What are the tips to store brown sugar fresh for a longer time?
The most common four tips to store brown sugar fresh are listed here:
- Use An Airtight Container
- Store With Bread
- Use Apple Wedges
- Keep Marshmallows
- Buy A Terra-Cotta Sugar Saver
4. Is it OK to eat expired brown sugar?
Yes, totally ok to eat expired brown sugar because its shelf life is indefinite and no expert date is printed on the label. If printed also don’t worry to use past the date when it is stored properly.
Key Outcomes
Brown sugar doesn’t expire or go bad. If you store the sugar under the wrong conditions then it may go bad. You can restore the hard brown sugar clumps by using an Apple Slice, a Microwave, Oven, Terra Cotta, and Bread. Want to know more about can brown sugar go bad or not with shelf life, signs of spoilage, storage tips, etc.? Just check the above modules and be with us for more updates on ingredients articles. Also, bookmark our site canfoodgobad.com for alert notifications when an article got published.