The Twist-Tie Trick for Clumping Brown Sugar

In 1998, a bakery in Minneapolis started saving every bread twist-tie instead of throwing them away because their brown sugar was always turning into a rock overnight. Every time a new bag arrived, they’d empty it into a sealed container, toss in an unused twist-tie, and close the lid tight. Within two days, what used to be a brick was suddenly soft and scoopable, even after weeks on the shelf. It turns out the thin wire inside each twist-tie holds just enough condensation to balance the moisture in the sugar without making it wet. The staff swore by it-the same trick worked at home on two-pound store bags or tiny jars. So why a twist-tie from Minneapolis in 1998? That scrap of plastic and wire drew exactly enough moisture out of the air in the container to keep the brown sugar smooth and ready to use.