Today is apple butter day. It's always an exciting day, with family in for the stirring, lots of cooking and talk and laughter.
And stories. There are several connected to this day. Like the time I put lemon oil in instead of cinnamon oil. Luckily we caught it after the first bottle, and added the cinnamon oil which thankfully completely masked the lemon. Whew.
And the year Larry and Derek wouldn't listen to me about how important it was to keep stirring even after the fire was pulled from beneath the kettle so that the kettle wouldn't scorch. It scorched, although mercifully the apple butter didn't. But you would not believe the scrubbing and work and prayers it took to get the kettle clean again.
Then there was the year we waited until our son Derek got home from Iraq to make the apple butter. It was February 9th. I'd made and frozen the applesauce in advance so we could wait until Derek was here. The day we decided to make it, it snowed. And snowed and snowed. It was cold and windy and Larry made a "blow George" over the kettle and fire to hold the heat in. A blow George is just a sheet of tin or 2 to protect the fire and direct the air for maximum heat. It took longer than usual, but I swear it was the best apple butter we've ever made. Even in 8" of snow.
I remember the year I made apple butter alone, a trick that required careful planning. Because the kettle must be constantly stirred, I had to have every single thing needed right at hand. It takes 5 hours of cooking and stirring, but somehow I managed it.
The first year I ever made it was with my neighbor Belvie and her daughter-in-law Jo Ann. Both ladies are gone now, but that day remains in my mind as one of the best days ever. After that I made it with my dear friend Brenda, another daughter-in-law of Belvie's, who passed away last year, So many good people gone, but I am grateful for the memories.
Today I have 2 of my sons, a daughter-in-law, and several grandchildren--all young adults now--to help. It will be a grand time. And there will be more stories made.
This makes me homesick . . . my folks used to grow sorghum and each fall they would host Sorghum Days. The whole community came in to sample sorghum, bean soup and corn bread, apple cider and more. A wonderful 7 or 8 years.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great tradition. I am not familiar with apple butter but it sounds wonderful.
ReplyDeleteHoping you have a fun time making the apple butter and new memories.
ReplyDelete