I
vividly remember when I started preparing, trying to find specifics
on all the various items I was storing. Specifically, how to store
and what measures to employ to insure the best storage method.
Although
refined sugar is
prone to absorbing moisture,
it is
one of those items that you are able to store indefinitely.
Elena Clark recently shared with the community on our Facebook page: "To say sugar stores well is an understatement! My mama gave me 3 buckets of sugar she had stored almost 40 years ago! It's sooo sweet and I've used some canning blueberry syrup."
This picture is sugar I stored 3 1/2 years ago. One of the simplest items to store, if you do it properly.
The
keys to remember for sugar
storage is cool,
dark, DRY. Moisture
is the one element that will impact stored sugar the most, causing it
to clump up or turn into a brick. Also,
you need to store your
containers away from
concrete/brick
walls and don't store on a concrete floor where moisture can
accumulate.
Do NOT use oxygen absorbers. They tend to make the sugar clump more. But, instead you could use a moisture absorbing element such as rice, which is what you see in the photo above. I wrapped some rice in a coffee filter and placed it on top of the sugar I stored.
I
found these helpful tips on the C & H Sugar website:
“Sugar,
properly stored, has an indefinite shelf life because it does not
support microbial growth.
Storage
Moisture
makes granulated sugar hard and lumpy. Once this happens, there is no
way to adequately restore it. Always store granulated sugar in a
covered container in a cool, dry area.
Store
powdered sugar in a cool, dry location (not the refrigerator). When
it gets moist, it develops lumps. And because of its physical
properties, it tends to absorb strong odors – it can even absorb
odors through the package.”
So be mindful of the storage containers.
So be mindful of the storage containers.
If
you have sugar that has become hard & lumpy don't be dismayed. It
is still edible. You could use those lumps when making any recipe
where the sugar will be dissolved, such as candy, syrups or
jam/jelly.
Bigger
isn't always better. Do your price comparisons. I recently found that
a 10 lb. Bag of sugar was more economical to purchase than the 50 lb.
Bag.
I
can attest to the fact that brown sugar doesn't store well since it has a natural
moisture content, it hardens into a solid brick. Instead store
molasses and add it to sugar to make your own brown sugar.
Brown sugar is simple to make. Add 1 T. molasses to 1 C.of refined sugar to make light brown sugar. 2 T. of molasses added to 1 C. of refined sugar will make dark brown sugar. I actually write the "recipe" on the lid of the canning jar that i store my brown sugar in for easy reference.
Raw
sugar has a shorter shelf life.
Might
as well talk about honey while we are at it. I store lots of raw, organic honey. Honey
also
stores
for a very long time. Remember
pure
honey crystallizes and is much easier to melt in smaller containers.
If honey is purchased in bulk, simply transfer it to pint canning
jars or empty jam jars. Crystallized honey should be melted at lower
temperatures. If
overheated
it could
become
too thick when cooled.
Hoping to get a beehive this coming year.
Hoping to get a beehive this coming year.
