Sugar

Preparation

1. Hard, lumpy, solidified

   Step 1

   Here are seven things to do with hardened or lumpy sugar—the least drastic first, and so on, up to the last resort.

   Step 2

   Push it through a sieve.

   Step 3

   Roll it out with a rolling pin.

   Step 4

   Steam it in the top of a double boiler. (This works well for brown sugar only.)

   Step 5

   Put it in its bag (but not a box) in a 350°F oven. By the time the bag is warm, the sugar should be softened or delumped.

   Step 6

   Put it through a food processor, blender, or meat grinder.

   Step 7

   Put a wedge of apple into the box or bag of sugar and reclose it. Microwave it on high for 20 seconds per cup of sugar. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Repeat if necessary.

   Step 8

   Give up and melt it down over low heat on the stove. It makes good syrup. Add extracts, such as vanilla, maple, or butterscotch.

   Step 9

   To keep sugar, especially brown sugar, from going hard or lumpy in the future, keep it in an airtight jar, preferably in the refrigerator. To be doubly sure, keep a piece bread in the jar.

2. Need some, have none (granulated sugar)

   Step 10

   In baking, the following may be substituted for 1 cup of sugar: use 3/4 cup honey and reduce a liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup; use 1 1/3 cups molasses and reduce the liquid by 1/3 cup; use 1 1/2 cups corn syrup and reduce the liquid by 1/4 cup; or use 3/4 cup maple syrup and reduce the liquid by 1/4 cup. And keep in mind that it will change the flavor and very possibly the texture of your recipe.

   Step 11

   Also bear in mind that you can make superfine sugar out of regular granulated sugar by giving it a whirl in your blender or food processor.

3. Need some, have none (brown sugar)

   Step 12

   You can use white sugar instead of brown. For each cup of sugar, add 1/4 cup molasses and decrease the liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons.