Apple Butter Day

30°f, about -1°C this morning, mostly overcast all day but warming up to 61°f. A few very light sprinkles.

What a weekend! Lots of family, all kinds of busy, and all kinds of apple butter made.

We started Saturday getting everything ready. Son Derek, his daughter Ashley and son Jared came to help get everything set up, which basically meant getting the big copper and brass kettle and stand cleaned and ready, the firepit set up, more firewood cut, etc. Afterwards we were joined for dinner by our oldest son George and his son Clayton, along with Derek's daughter Hannah, her boyfriend Max and her son. When asked if I preferred to cook for everyone or go out, you can guess my answer! I knew I had plenty of cooking ahead Sunday, so off we went to the Yacht Club--no yacht there but they do have a boat with a skeleton crew.

We were quite a crew too. Those Saturday night ribs are not to be missed at the Yacht Club, and we sure did them justice.

Clockwise from lower left: George, Derek, Larry, Jared, me, Ashley, Clayton, Max, Hannah and Ryland.

I was up early Sunday to cook pancakes and bacon for whoever showed up. The guys got the fire going at 9:30am, and the kettle was on and cooking by 10.

Blogger put my photos out of the order I selected,  but what's new.  First is George stirring early in the day. We used some metal to make a "blow George", as Larry calls it, as the breeze was a little strong at first. This kept the fire contained and kept the heat in.

The day turned as nice as we could have asked. Granddaughter Beth, who arrived with son Aaron, his wife Jaime and his two other kids James and Aaron, is taking a turn with the stirrer here. The pot must be stirred constantly or it will scorch.

I was working hard too, can you tell? I actually spent most of the day in the kitchen, getting the jars ready with granddaughter Michaela and making a BIG pot of spaghetti, etc for dinner. But I slipped out from time to time.

This was later in the day, about 3:30 or so, as we began jarring up.

Jaime and Beth hard at it.

Clayton's job was to tighten the lids after the jars were filled. Derek is down in front, using a contraption he made to fill the jars. It does a great job, keeping the tops of the jars very clean.

Son Aaron kept up the stirring as the pot emptied, because even though we covered the fire it was still pretty hot and the pot could still scorch.

Derek taking a short break. He really is the boss of this whole operation.

Clayton takes a stir.

Clayton recently finished his 6yr tour with the Navy, and now works in data center security in Northern Virginia.

Afterwards the evening was perfect for firepit time, and later still inside by the fireplace time. Granddaughter Hannah and her two little ones, granddaughter Haley and her partner Desiree all arrived for dinner and firepit--and really, it wasn't planned that way to miss the work. Really! Actually Hannah had to pick up her daughter, and Haley was suffering with her very bad ankle, which will havebto have surgery in January. It's an old injury but is causing very real issues now.

From left, Desiree, Michaela, and Beth. Desiree is full-time National Guard, and Beth is on the Navy.

Michaela and her brother James. She is a senior in forensic biology at WVU, he is an apprentice electrician.

I guess I missed getting photos of some of our crew, as some came and others left throughout the weekend. They came from as far away as Annapolis, MD, Denver, Colorado, and Los Angeles for this annual event. What a joy to have so many of them here! 

We ended up with 64 pints of apple butter. Everyone got plenty to take home, and there is still quite a lot put up in the cellar.  Now everything is cleaned up and put away, until we do it all again next year.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Apple Butter Day

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.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Covid Journal, Day 247: Apple Butter Day

40, cold and drizzly this morning. Rained almost all day Saturday, or misted, and foggy. Sunday was mostly cloudy but about 60; then rain late afternoon.

What a whirlwind weekend! After months of little to no visitors, the past few days have been the complete opposite.

Oldest son George came in Thursday night, and spent Friday golfing with his brother, third son Derek. He came over for dinner afterwards, and we had a nice long visit. George had Covid in June, so I feel pretty safe around him. I had baked in the afternoon--apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, and bread, and made comfort food for dinner--meatloaf, green beans and fried potatoes. He was really hungry, so it was a good choice. George is very fit, a hiker, biker, kayaker and golfer, so he can handle calories.

Larry and ran some errands Saturday morning, then granddaughter Grace arrived from Nashville with her boyfriend Bailey, who lives not far from us. We hadn't seen her, or George, for almost a year, so I was so happy to see her. Again, as safe as we can get these days--she's in law school and the students all mask up and sit long distances apart. She doesn't go out except as needed. Her boyfriend has been holed up at home since a job he expected to start in the summer was put on hold due to the pandemic. We had a great visit. Dinner was leftover meatloaf, since I always make too much, veggies and parsley potatoes.

George and daughter Grace.

Larry and I were up early to start breakfast for the apple butter crew. It was one of those events that started small but grew, so I figured to just cook a lot and see who showed up. I made tea, coffee, stacks of from-scratch waffles and a fresh berry compote, while Larry cooked up bacon and sausage. Granddaughter Haley showed up and brought granddaughter Michaela with her; then Derek and a friend of his, Hannah and her boyfriend Jacob and little boy, and my friend Tonya and her daughter Maggie. Everyone ate, so I was glad we made plenty. The doors were open most of the time, people were in and out and usually far enough apart to not have to worry.

In the beginning...

While the last arrivals ate, the guys got the fire going and started the kettle. We start with a quart or two of water in the bottom of the kettle, a few pennies. When the water boils, we add the applesauce. Then the stirring starts, and continues until the last little bit is scraped from the kettle into a jar. Maggie said that years ago she helped her grandparents make apple butter, and her grandfather made a schedule so that the grandchildren stirred in 15-minute rotations. What an organized man!

Tonya and Maggie were the champion dishwashers. They washed all the breakfast dishes, and then all the jars that still needed washing. I went outside to sit down a minute and drink a cup of coffee, then I was back in the kitchen to make potato-leek soup with fresh leeks and onions from the garden. Michaela, Tonya, and Maggie helped me peel all the potatoes and chop some green onions. I made a plate of crackers and cheese, warmed the homemade bread and that was lunch. 

A lot of the crew got involved in helping Larry split up the huge logs from that downed tree that's been waiting for him to work up all summer. Even the girls got into splitting those giant logs.  And little Ryland was there to supervise.

Almost ready. The color changes dramatically after the addition of sugar.

Derek's jar-filling contraption. It worked great.

Hannah took on the job of getting rings and lids on, with help from Poppa Larry.

Everyone hard at work for that last phase. Me? I ran for more jars, lids, rings, whatever was needed. And took a few photos.

And done--it took about 6 hours to cook down, about a half hour longer than usual but the extra sauce we added extended the time.

We ended up with about 37 quarts, more than usual because we added more sauce as the kettle cooked down. Usually we get about 30 quarts. Derek made a cool contraption for jarring up the sauce, and we had a real production line going getting it done. And just in time--the rain showers came just as Larry was washing up the kettle.

It was a great day--perhaps some risk of the virus, because there were times when we had to work closer together, but being outside and a breeze blowing mitigated the risk. It was wonderful to have the house full again, and to be able to cook for family. It was literally a balm for my mind and soul.

When everyone was gone and the house was quiet again and mostly cleaned up, I made a pot of English tea and sat. And read. My feet and legs ached, and so did my face, from smiling. A good day.

Today Larry is off deer-hunting with George, and I am roasting a turkey to pick from the bone and freeze. Turkeys are so cheap right now, I've bought 4 and will put up three of them. Then I'm off to our Ravenswood booth to restock, by myself this time. Another good day.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Apple Butter Day

Once again some of our family gathered to make apple butter. This weekend was not the ideal weather--it was cold and blowy and rainy, and even sleeted and dropped a few snow flurries on us. But the fire was warm, the laughter was bright, and the house was close by if we really needed to get warm.

The guys have got the art of building the fire and setting up the kettle down so well that I no longer have to be involved in that step. Actually, I think they have the whole process down pat! I made breakfast of sausage gravy and eggs for the crew; some were here overnight, others came at various times during the morning.

We had such a good time. I had made and frozen the apple sauce in advance so that step would be done when we all finally agreed on a date to cook it down. One son brought the jars, and the other brought the sugar.

Everyone brought their appetites for sure! There is nothing like being out in the chilly air to bring on the hungries. After the sauce was cooking well, I went back inside to make lunch: corn and cheese chowder, cornbread, and sandwich makings, all laid out buffet style so everyone could help themselves. There were cookies too, from last week's gathering with my sisters, and plenty of coffee and tea.

We ended up with 63 pints, I think. Larry and I won't need much this year as we still have plenty from last year's batch. But this morning I opened a pint and spread the rich brown butter on my toast. Delicious! A taste that calls back all the many years we have made apple butter together. I am eternally grateful to my neighbor Belva Simons for teaching me how to do this. Belva is gone, but her gift continues to give.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Apple Butter Day

We had a perfect day for our annual apple butter cooking. Cool, crisp enough to see your breath in the morning, then gradually so warm we took off our jackets, then cool again as clouds moved in. But the conversations kept us warm all day as we stirred, stoked the fire, and washed jars.

George ended up being the chief stirrer this year, although everyone took a turn.

Larry minded the fire and kept up a steady stream of orneriness all afternoon, and the grandkids were there to do anything asked.

Here's the crew: Larry, Hannah's boyfriend Jeremiah (who is so tall we had to ask him to sit down so he'd fit in the frame!), Hannah, Haley, Grace, and George.

This time Jeremiah volunteered to take the photo so I could be in the picture. That was nice. George kept the pot stirred so it didn't scorch while we messed around with pictures.

 The finished product, about 32 quarts of rich brown, spicy apple butter. Mmmmmm.

Cleanup time, covering over the fire, washing up the kettle, wiping down tables, etc, takes a little time.

At the end of the day, trick or treaters! What a fine time it was from beginning to end.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

An Apple Butter Kind of Day

Actually, it really wasn't. It rained. It poured. And then it rained some more. But thanks to a good neighbor, we were still able to make our apple butter with the loan of a canopy that worked nicely to keep us dry as we stirred.

We made our apple butter in steps. We made the sauce in advance, some last week and some 3 weeks ago, and put it in the freezer until we could get a date set for the cooking down. We settled on this Saturday and of course the rain moved in as soon as it heard the news. But with Pam's canopy and a little ingenuity we moved ahead.

The canopy covered our work area nicely. We worried about sparks possibly flying up from the wood fire and burning holes in the canopy so we set the cooking up outside of the shelter; we took the top plexiglas off a porch table and used the base to create a shelter over the kettle, sliding a piece of tin over the cooking sauce whenever the rain started up, and moving it aside as each shower passed by.

The fire gave us fits for a while; we had the wood covered but it still was not easy to get a good hot fire for a little while. We leaned some tin against the side of the kettle for a while and that seemed to help the fire get its breath, and then we were really cooking. Daughter-in-law Sandy washed jars and she and granddaughter Grace provided support while we stirred and stirred and stirred.

Each year the color of the sauce is different, depending on the apples we use. This year we had a good crop of Red Delicious, so we used those, some Rome and some Grimes Golden. The color is lovely, a nice reddish brown; and the flavor? Well, every year we think it's the best we've ever made, but this year's batch truly is delicious.

We started with 15 gallons of sauce. I follow the way my neighbor Belva Simons taught me and cook it down to about half of what we started with. We cook the sauce until it is boiling good and beginning to turn color; streaks of a dark gold will begin to appear and the boil cannot be stirred down. Then we add the sugar, slowly so that the sauce doesn't stop boiling. When all the sugar is in (20-25 pounds for my kettle, depending again on the apples and their sweetness), we continue cooking until the apple butter passes the "slump test." I don't know if that's the right term for it, but it describes what we're looking for very well--butter that does not weep and that holds its shape when a spoonful is placed on a plate. The whole cooking time is usually between 4 and 5 hours. (Add another 4-5 hours to make enough applesauce to fill the kettle).

When it was done I hurried inside to heat up the chili I'd made earlier and whip up a batch of cornbread. Fresh apple butter on biscuits is good; on cornbread it's ambrosia. While I did that, the men cleaned up the kettle and put away the tables, tin, and other things we used. Today we relaxed. Two of the guys played golf; grandchildren and Larry watched a movie and I did laundry and visited with my daughter-in-law.

The house is empty now; our company went home with apple butter, cider, eggs, gourds, butternut squash, apples, brownies and lots of hugs. I am washing up linens and towels and missing the sounds of their voices and laughter already.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Friends, Stories, Music and Apple Butter

Where to start? Maybe with Thursday night's concert?

Mick Moloney and Athena Tergis entertained Roads Scholars with songs and tunes in the Irish tradition. The concert was open to the public so we were able to have a listen to these fine performers. We left with our friend from Toronto, Catherine Crowe, for a late dinner at a Mexican restaurant and some good conversation.

Friday found us heading to Tygart Lake State Park to tell ghost stories for the haunted trail. The moon was full, the air was crisp, the audience delightful and the tales, I hope, sufficiently spooky. I debuted several new stories including the Holland Handkerchief as both story and ballad, the Cale Betts Ghost, Coffin Hollow and a couple others along with some of my most requested ghost stories. Writing friend Diane Tarantini came with her children for the storytelling and we went out with her later to the Grafton 1-2-3 for another late dinner and also got to chat with the owner of this quality little coffee shop, our friend MK Stover.

Saturday morning we were up and out, heading home to prepare for an evening ghost stories concert at the Alpine theatre in Ripley,

with Keith Maynard and Suzi Whaples,

 to be followed with a very late night get-together around the firepit at our house with Catherine, Derek and his family, and friends. We sang, talked and laughed until 3:00am (how did it get so late so fast?). Jeff sang a song called Canned Goods by Greg Brown that was a perfect description of our way of life. This morning we were up by 10 so we could get started on making apple butter.

It was a good day for this project--warm, no threat of rain like in 2008 and no snow like in 2007, and lots of help from Derek and Amy. Some friends met here on this blog stopped by to look at the land we have for sale and we had a good visit with them while we filled the copper kettle with apple sauce I'd cooked and canned in September, got the wood fire lit under the kettle and got cooking. I sometimes can the sauce in advance because I don't have a clear weekend to make the sauce and immediately cook it down when the apples need to be picked and worked up. So rather than lose the apples I can the sauce and save the apple butter making for a good day. This year I also froze some of the applesauce which saved jar lids and a lot of time, but we ran out of room in the freezer so I had to can most of it. They stayed long enough to help start the stirring, and left just as Derek and Amy arrived.

I was worried about this year's apple butter because I had no access to red apples this year, and I had always been told that you need red apples to get the rich brown color in the apple butter. I had only my yellow apples this year; would they make good apple butter? Well, as you can see in the photo (which doesn't show the entire yield) the color is lovely; the taste? it's fine. Whew.

It takes about 60 quarts of applesauce to fill my kettle, and it cooks down to about 30 quarts of apple butter. We ended up with 31 quarts this year. When it was in the jars Derek made his BIG biscuits and we got to taste the fresh, spicy apple butter at the time when I think it's best--right off the fire.

That was the weekend, in a nutshell. Much driving, much storytelling, many friends, good work, and very, very, very tired tonight. But a good tired, and ready to sleep like a baby and be ready for tomorrow's back-to-work morning.