Throughout my years as a clutter and space consultant, I’ve consistently run on to a little item in almost every kitchen drawer I’ve looked in. Seems like everyone has a terra cotta brown sugar saver. And rightly so—they’re pretty efficient at keeping this difficult-to-store baking ingredient from turning rock solid.

Efficient, that is, if you know how to use it. You want to load it with moisture before placing it in your sugar container. To do this, simply soak the terracotta piece in water overnight, then pat it dry before using.

But here’s some news. A brown sugar saver has other uses. Jillee, of www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com, sent these ideas out last month and as you’ll see, this little disk ought to have a different name because it does a lot more than just save brown sugar. It’ll save other things as well.

MARSHMALLOWS: I’ve thrown out so many bags or rock-hard marshmallows; talk about a waste of money! What this terra cotta disk does for brown sugar it does for marshmallows. Just store them in an airtight container with a moistened brown sugar saver to keep them soft and pillowy!

BAKED GOODS: Keep your favorite baked goods fresh with the help of a moistened brown sugar saver. Store one with cookies, bread, and muffins to keep them soft and moist for much longer.

DRIED FRUIT: If you want to keep your dried fruit stash chewy, instead of hard and tough, turn to a moistened brown sugar saver. Place it in with your favorite dried fruits like apricots, mango, and more to keep them from going stale.

FRESH HERBS: Keep a moistened brown sugar saver with herbs in your fridge to keep them fresh! This works particularly well for hardier herbs like rosemary, thyme, etc.

Now for more news: A brown sugar saver also works wonders with certain foods when used dry.

SPICES: Buying whole spices and grinding them at home can take the flavor of your favorite recipes to the next level! Store freshly ground spices with a dry brown sugar saver to prevent clumps and keep them fresh.

SUPPLEMENTS AND MEDICATIONS: If you keep supplements or medications in your bathroom, stash a dry 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.

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 pet’s food dry is to transfer it to an airtight container ASAP. Then add a dry brown sugar saver as an added layer of protection against sogginess!

I’ll close with a big THANK YOU! to Jillee for sharing this helpful information and with two general brown sugar saver tips. Depending on what you’re storing it with, the placement of your brown sugar saver can make a difference. So here’s what to remember:

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.