Okay, most of the instructions make sense. But what is the apple wedge for? I have been softening brown sugar in the microwave for years, and I never once added an apple wedge. Why do they ask for the apple wedge?
Just wondering…
WAG - to add moisture, maybe? Some sites also suggest adding a slice of white bread instead. Most, though, have the apple wedge/white bread tip for re-softening bread over the course of a few days in the cupboard.
Adding a apple to a bag of potatoes apparently keeps them from sprouting – another mystery!
For the acid.
Brown sugar gets hard because it dries out. If you’ve got several days to work on it, you can make it pliable again by adding a few drops of water to the bag, and resealing. The steaming apple just supplies the water in a quicker and more convenient form.
I keep my brown sugar in an airtight canister but occasionally someone will leave it open and we end up with hard sugar. I just lay a slice of bread on top of the sugar and reseal the cannister and it is soft by the next day.
The apple wedge and the bread both supply moisture in an even, consistant way.
Hum, the advice I’ve seen uses the apple wedge as a <i>preventative</i> - seal a bag of brown sugar with the wedge inside, and that will keep it from drying out. Whatever flavor the apple gives is sort of a bonus I guess, since they go well together.
To me, rehydrated brown sugar just doesn’t taste right, somehow it gets off flavors. I package leftover brown sugar in a ziploc freezer bag, compressing it with my hands as much as I can. In the freezer, it keeps pretty well. Then I just nuke it to thaw. That way, it doesn’t dry out at all, with no apple wedges.