Powdered sugar is a mix of very finely ground granulated sugar and an anti-caking agent to keep it in a powdered consistency.
In most cases, that anti-caking agent is corn starch. Different brands use varying amounts of cornstarch, so the time it takes your icing sugar to start forming those depends on the brand you choose.
You can get rid of the clumps by sifting the sugar through a fine-mesh strainer before dusting your dessert. Or by breaking them up using a fork. Or with your fingers, if you like. The same applies if it smells funny, or tastes bad in any way. Small and dry clumps are perfectly fine. Wet clumps, mold, and any other growths are usually caused by water getting into the package.
No matter if there are only a few small moldy dots, or an entire civilization ready to build space shuttles, throw out the whole thing. If you find any pantry insects dead or alive , check nearby food products and get rid of the rest of them as soon as possible.
Those things spread like crazy. You can prevent freezer burn, which will also dry your brownies out, by using a good freezer container and using the smallest size you can find so it's as airtight as possible. Because air causes freezer burn and cutting food into smaller pieces creates more surface area for air to hit it and dry it out I recommend freezing the whole pan and cutting the brownies out later. To prevent condensation take the lid off the container or unwrap the brownies and let them thaw at room temperature.
Click here to post comments. If every now and then you find larvae or bugs in your dry foods in the pantry, make sure powdered sugar is always sealed tightly. If you know that the mentioned package needs to keep for a year or longer, spending an extra minute or two on packaging is well worth the effort. An airtight container or a resealable bag both work really well for storing dry goods, and I recommend using one of them. Before transferring the sugar, make sure the bag or container is perfectly dry on the inside.
What do you do when you find such a package, though? The sugar can attract moisture in the process of defrosting, thereby becoming lumpy. Nevertheless, freezing is not entirely bad. Simply put the powdered sugar inside a sealable freezer bag and press the sides to make sure there is no space for air inside. Of course, you must also keep heavy objects or items with strong odor away from your powdered sugar.
The safest thing to do is to keep the powdered sugar in a separate compartment of its own in the freezer. You can freeze powdered sugar for as long as you want. It will retain its quality for as long as stays moisture-free. Moisture will make your powdered sugar lumpy and this will ultimately have an impact on your baking.
Another thing you should be wary of while freezing powdered sugar is the odor. Powdered sugar is covetous and easily takes in the odor of items close to it. Keeping your powdered sugar in a separate compartment will go a long way in mitigating this problem. Also note that these can only affect the outcome of your baking.
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