Those Little Terracotta Sugar Savers Are Surprisingly Versatile
While keeping brown sugar on hand certainly comes in handy when a chocolate chip cookie craving strikes, it isnโt the easiest ingredient to store! I canโt even tell you how many times Iโve reached for a bag of brown sugar in my pantry, only to discover it had become a rock-solid sugar brick.
But once I started storing my pantry ingredients in airtight storage containers, I discovered a brilliantly simple and extremely inexpensive solution to my problem: a brown sugar saver! Iโve been a big fan of these little discs ever since, but recently, I learned about several alternative uses for brown sugar savers that made me love them even more! :-)
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In todayโs post, Iโll be sharing 7 surprising uses for brown sugar savers (apart from saving brown sugar, of course.) But before we jump in, here’s a quick refresher on what they actually are, and how they work to keep things fresh.
A brown sugar saver is a small piece of terracotta that you can store in a container of brown sugar (or other foods) to keep it soft and pliable. But contrary to what its name suggests, brown sugar savers are surprisingly versatile, and thereโs a number of ways you can put them to good use around the house!
How To Use Brown Sugar Savers
Method #1: Use It Wet
If youโre using a brown sugar saver to keep something moist or prevent staleness (such as brown sugar), you need to load it up with moisture first! To do this, simply soak the terracotta piece in water overnight, then pat it dry before using.
Method #2: Use It Dry
You can also use a brown sugar saver to keep things dry! Dry terracotta is very absorbent, making it highly useful for absorbing excess or unwanted moisture.
To use a brown sugar saver in this fashion, just bake it in your oven at 200ยฐF for 5-10 minutes to ensure itโs bone-dry. Allow it cool completely before using.
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7 Practical Uses For Brown Sugar Savers
Note: For items #1-4 in the list below, follow the instructions from โUse It Wetโ above. For items #5-7, follow the instructions under โUse It Dry.โ
1. Marshmallows
Stumped as to how to keep marshmallows fresh, or tired of tossing them out when they’re hard as a rock? Store marshmallows in an airtight container with a brown sugar saver to keep them soft and pillowy!
2. Baked Goods
Keep your favorite baked goods fresh with the help of a brown sugar saver. Store one with cookies, bread, and muffins to keep them soft and moist for much longer.
3. Dried Fruit
Want to keep your dried fruit stash chewy, instead of hard and tough? Put a brown sugar saver in with your favorite dried fruits like apricots, mango, and more to keep them from going stale.
4. Fresh Herbs
Keep a brown sugar saver with herbs in your fridge to keep them fresh! This works particularly well for hardier herbs like rosemary, thyme, etc.
5. Spices
Buying whole spices and grinding them at home can take the flavor of your favorite recipes to the next level! Store ground spices with a dry brown sugar saver to prevent clumps and keep them fresh.
6. Supplements & Medications
If you keep supplements or medications in your bathroom, stash a brown sugar saver alongside them. The humid environment of your bathroom can cause pills to break down or even dissolve, but the brown sugar saver will draw moisture away from them to help keep them dry.
7. Pet Food
If you live in a humid area, then you probably already know how tricky it can be to keep things dry! This is especially true of dry pet foods, which can quickly go from dry to soggy in humid conditions.
The best way to keep your petโs food dry is to transfer it to an airtight container ASAP. Then add a brown sugar saver as an added layer of protection against sogginess!
Brown Sugar Saver Placement Tips
- Depending on what youโre storing it with, the placement of your brown sugar saver can make a difference.
- A good, general rule of thumb: Placing your sugar saver at the center of the substance will help it release moisture (or absorb it) more evenly.
- Keep in mind that some food items, including marshmallows, cookies, and dried fruit, will fare better if they don’t make direct contact with the terracotta.
Here are some more ways to use other cool kitchen tools:
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- 8 Clever And Practical Ways To Use Your Kitchen Tongs
- 14 Ways To Get More Use Out Of The Stuff In Your Kitchen
- See The Whole “Uses For” Series
Have you ever used a brown sugar saver in your kitchen?




























Goodness. have NEVER in my 85 years, had a problem with hard sugar or hard brown sugar and have live all over the country..don’t know what I’m doing right!! Or marshmallows either. Enjoy your baking!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My white granulated sugar is rock hard at the bottom of the canister. Should I use a wet or dry terracotta in it?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Alethea, here is a good rule to follow with the discs… Soak in water for 20-minutes and place in brown sugar, baked goods, cakes, cookies, marshmallows, even dried fruit to soften and maintain moistness. Use dry, without soaking, to absorb moisture and keep spices, salt, crackers, pretzels and chips dry and crispy.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a very small saucer from a mini planter/pot. It works GREAT!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Only paid about 50 cents for it at a Thrift store.
Question… Does anyone know if using terra-cotta dry will keep raw/uncooked rice fresh for long periods of time?
Wow , they don’t have these here in the South! Going to find these online.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.On the brown sugar saver ideas. Do I use it wet or dry for all the above? You do not say.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sorry Joy! You use it dry.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Well, dang! I never heard of a “brown sugar saver.” I’ve heard about bread, apples, and marshmallows–none of which worked satisfactorily–so I’m off to find one. Enlightening as always, Jillee
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If I find my brown sugar has gotten hard, I just put a slice of bread in the container with the sugar. It is soft again by the next day. I usually use the heel since that is the last slice to get eaten.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good to know!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have had one of these in my brown sugar for many years. But why? My brown sugar still got hard. Well thanks to your article I now know that I needed to soak it first. It did not come with any instructions. I just figured you dropped it in the brown sugar and it did it’s job. Thanks for the tip.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Maybe its just brain over load, but does it matter if the wet or dry is used on your suggestions? Cookies etc. Thank you
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes! Note: For items #1-4 in the list, follow the instructions from โUsing It Wet.โ For items #5-7, follow the instructions from โUsing It Dry.โ
Please log in or create a free account to comment.She tells you at the beginning of the post.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My sister in law bought me one. It made my brown sugar hard. I have never had a problem with brown sugar going hard before until I used it. So I’ll stick to my way. I may try it with some of your other ideas.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.A slice of apple placed in the brown sugar bag will also soften it. I have done this for many years.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another way to keep brown sugar moist is to add orange peel to the container.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for ideas. I had to laugh because I love my terra-cotta bear but I use 2 large marshmallow to keep brown sugar soft and you use bear to keep marshmallows fresh.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Couldnโt you use a piece from a broken ceramic planter instead of buying a special terra-cotta figure?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Would love to know if anyone has tried this…..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I too thought the article would be about the container itself as I have never heard of a brown sugar saver before. What a wonderful idea and thank you for letting us know about it, we really appreciate the helpful ideas. I live in the Republic of Panamรก so humidity is high and keeping things fresh and dry can be a challenge.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I read the article title I thought you were referring to the container rather than the little terra cotta bear…I have two brown sugar containers that my MIL gave me for Christmas a few years back, one for dark brown sugar, one for light, and each with its own built-in terra cotta disk…and I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I don’t use “brown sugar” anymore but sucanat (which is basically granulated molasses) which for the most part doesn’t dry out or get hard. I still have the containers but didn’t know what to do with them; but this list gives me some ideas – especially marshmallows as I make my own on occasion and it’s too much work to throw them away if they get dry and hard. The herbs and spices ideas are interesting too, so I’ll have to see if I can make use of those.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I keep my brown sugar in a Tupperware container made just for that purpose, holds a one pound box. Never gets hard, have two of them, one for the brown sugar and one for powdered sugar. Have had them for years. Love them.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How do you use the brown sugar saver with the fresh herbs in the refrigerator? I would love something that helps with keeping them fresh.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just store the herbs and the brown sugar saver together – whether you store them in a baggie or a tupperware :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I am curious if this terra cotta would work in a potted plant to help keep the soil moist until the next watering.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Martha, there are terra cotta watering spikes you can place on the end of a used wine bottle that’s been filled with water and invert in your planters. The spikes absorb the water from the bottle and release it gradually into the soil. They work!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have a safe lock box that important papers always feel and smell damp. Would a piece of terra cotta work to keep things dry in my safe?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee suggested, several months ago, to recycle and reuse silica gels that are found in various packaging. Silica gel packs may be ideal for your situation.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I keep a container of AirBoss closet dehumidifier in my safe and replace it when needed. Write the date on the top so you know how long it lasts before it fills up with the water it removes. ALL SAFES should use dehumidifiers. And, it says this on the install instructions, albeit in small print.
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