# Dominion sugar hard as a rock?



## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

I found a 5 lb bag of Dominion sugar that was still half full; yet it is so hard that I have a hard time getting it out of the sack. Anyone else experience such a situation; and if so, what did you do? (Apparently I don't know how to store granulated sugar without this occurring.)


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Put it in a cloth bag. 

Hammer the peewaddle out of it.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Break it into chunks, and put it in a container that has a lid that will seal, Pour in a quarter cup of water and seal the lid. Let it sit for a few days, you may have to add water and do it again. If sugar gets hard it is because it has dried out.


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## emdeengee (Apr 20, 2010)

To keep brown sugar soft or to soften the rock that can form - both in the bag as well as in the sugar jar - I soak a handful of raisins in water for about 10 minutes, pat them dry and then mix then in with the sugar or lay them on top of the sugar in the bag and tie it up tightly. In 40 plus years this has never failed me. You will have to fish out the raisins and re-soak every once in a while.


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

mom use to keep half an apple in there. every now and then replace it. probably works similar to what Em mentioned. i bake a lot so never gets a chance to get hard but i also use the apple when i store my cookies. fruit cake etc. ~Georgia


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

if this is white sugar you don’t want to add moisture to it...that makes it clump. So store it in a container that won’t let in humidity and dampness and can’t cause it to clump.
if it’s brown sugar then you do want to add moisture, like an apple slice.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

It is white sugar and was still in its original bag. Yes I'm going to take a hammer to it!!! I rarely use sugar; so usually only get a 1 lb package. I can truly blame David for this because he is always telling me to buy the larger sizes so as to get a better price. ROFL (This will teach me!!!)


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> It is white sugar and was still in its original bag. Yes I'm going to take a hammer to it!!! I rarely use sugar; so usually only get a 1 lb package. I can truly blame David for this because he is always telling me to buy the larger sizes so as to get a better price. ROFL (This will teach me!!!)


I keep mine in a canister with an airtight gasket. It never gets hard on me.


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## Gayle in KY (May 13, 2002)

I've had that happen. I just grated it on the small side of a cheese grater. It took a few minutes, but it turned out fine.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Gayle that is a great idea! Thanks

Lisa I do not have a canister with an airtight gasket; and if I used sugar that much, it would sure be worth looking into getting one.


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## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

motdaugrnds said:


> Gayle that is a great idea! Thanks
> 
> Lisa I do not have a canister with an airtight gasket; and if I used sugar that much, it would sure be worth looking into getting one.


I’m sure just a Rubbermaid container would work.


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

muleskinner2 said:


> If sugar gets hard it is because it has dried out.














> White sugar, like any other form of sugar hardens when it gets exposed to moisture.


How To Soften And Restore Your White Sugar (April. 2021)


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Get some half gallon jars to keep your sugar in. Put a canning lid and ring on them. Tighten the ring about as tight as you would for canning.

White sugar gets hard because of the ambient humidity in the house. Once it dries out again, the sugar forms a huge clump.

You can grate it or run it through a food processor or blender.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

motdaugrnds said:


> Gayle that is a great idea! Thanks
> 
> Lisa I do not have a canister with an airtight gasket; and if I used sugar that much, it would sure be worth looking into getting one.


mason jar works to store sugar I also use them to store salt


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks everyone


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## NRA_guy (Jun 9, 2015)

A ziplock bag should keep it dry for a pretty long time and might be easier than mason jars and Tupperware. (We keep brown sugar in a ziplock bag because we don't use it up very fast. It never hardens in a ziplock bag.)

Why are y'all buying such large quantities of white sugar? 

We buy a 4-lb bag and put it in a (non-air tight) glass cannister that sits on the kitchen counter. We pick up another 4-lb bag when the cannister starts getting low. That is about once a month. A bit more often during humming bird feeding months.










We never have a problem with lumped up sugar.

Remember when sugar came in 5-lb bags? In unison they all went to 4-lb bags a few years ago.


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## EnchantedBliss (Mar 28, 2021)

Break into big chunks then microwave for 10 seconds. May have to repeat a few times. 
I've been using up sugar I bought over 15 yrs ago when it was 99 cents a bag that I stored in those big 10 lbs. Tupperware Canisters. I had planned to use them up fairly quickly for canning which is why I didn't vacuum pack them in half gallon mason jars. 
I've diabetic now so I can with Monk Fruit-Stevia blend for myself. Hubby & gift giving gets the Sugar.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

People who do a lot of baking or make a lot of jelly, use a lot of white sugar.
We keep our sugar in a 5 gallon former icing bucket.


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## Tom Horn (Feb 10, 2021)

motdaugrnds said:


> I found a 5 lb bag of Dominion sugar that was still half full; yet it is so hard that I have a hard time getting it out of the sack. Anyone else experience such a situation; and if so, what did you do? (Apparently I don't know how to store granulated sugar without this occurring.)


Break it into sizes that you can throw into a food processor and grind it up.

Humidity/moisture will cause sugar to clump. Store it in air tight containers or double zip-lock bags, save those little 'do not eat' packs from beef jerky etc. and throw them in there to draw moisture. The absolute best way to long-term store most everything, dry beans, flour, cheese, meat, etc. etc. etc. is in a chamber vacuum sealed bag. Shoot, you can even vacuum seal liquid soup with it.









*Weston 65-1201-W Vacuum Pack Machine w/ Single Chamber, 120v*
KaTom #: 041-651201W• MPN: 65-1201-W
Ships Free
IN STOCK: *Ships in 1 Business Day*
Like this product? Write a Review!
*Retail Price: $1,414.76
$730.99 / Each*

KaTom Restaurant Supply

Weston 65-1201-W Vacuum Pack Machine w/ Single Chamber, 120v (katom.com) 

Internal chamber vacs are a bit spendy to purchase but the bags run around $.10 each compared with the worthless external vacuum Food Saver (Food Waster) bags that cost nearly $.50 each and fail to hold a vacuum over half the time.


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks so much for such a thorough response.


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## Tom Horn (Feb 10, 2021)

motdaugrnds said:


> Thanks so much for such a thorough response.


 If that was for me, you're welcome.

Here's where you can get the bags.

WebstaurantStore: Restaurant Supplies & Foodservice Equipment

*VacPak-It 12" x 14" Chamber Vacuum Packaging Pouches / Bags 3 Mil - 1000/Case*


Each only
$89.99/Case

A case is 1000 bags puts the cost at $.09 each and a 12" X 14" is about the size of a two gallon zip-lock bag.

Near as I can tell they will ship you the vac bags free.

There is also a bunch of smaller bags that you can order, it's just that I put up the 12" X 14" for demonstration because it's the largest bag that the vac machine that I posted and own, will accommodate.
















*Ziploc® 682253 13" x 15" Two Gallon Storage Bag with Double Zipper and Write-On Label - 100/Case*


$26.49/Case

$.265 each bag 2.9 times higher cost than a vac bag


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Thanks for the URL. Our vacuum sealer is a Weston but it is not the large professional ones. The largest bag it will take is 11".


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## Tom Horn (Feb 10, 2021)

motdaugrnds said:


> Thanks for the URL. Our vacuum sealer is a Weston but it is not the large professional ones. The largest bag it will take is 11".


As long as it's a chamber vac, it's like the narrator said in Jeremiah Johnson in reference to the Hawkin rifle:



> *He was looking for a Hawkin gun, 50 caliber or better. He settled for a 30, but damn, it was a genuine Hawkin. You couldn't do no better*.


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