Bee~ Journal of then...

[Farmfresh]

My mother is bringing a copper kettle for apple butter when she comes, so this oughta be good. Anyone else make apple butter this way?

The Amish make some great apple butter that contains no sugar, only sweetened with apple juice....wonder how they do that? It's really good!

I have done it before. You just start with sweet apples , like those yucky Delicious and some good cider and cook them down very slow. I used my crockpot on warm setting.

 

[keljonma]

The Amish make some great apple butter that contains no sugar, only sweetened with apple juice....wonder how they do that?

We have an Amish recipe for the kettle. Heat the copper kettle, put a peach pit or penny in it to help prevent burning. Add the apple cider to the hot kettle and bring to a boil. Add the peeled, sliced apples. Stir continuously or it will scorch and burn. Add allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Keep stirring until it is thick and smooth. Put into earthenware crocks and seal.

Here is an Amish Apple Butter recipe that makes 3 pints.
2 quarts apples, peeled and quartered
6 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups white or brown sugar
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3 sterilized pint jars, lids, rings

Prepare the apples. Bring the cider to a boil in a large pot or kettle. Boil it until it has reduced to half. Add the apples and cook for 20 minutes, or until soft and pulpy. Stir constantly to prevent scorching. Put the fruit and liquid through a sieve, add sugar, spices, and salt. Cook until mixture is thick and smooth. Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space. Seal and process in waterbath canner for 5 minutes.

 

[Beekissed]

Thanks! I know we made a batch or two once when I was growing up that was flavored using Red Hots.....it was delicious! But I don't think I would use that now, due to the HFCS and red dyes.

 

[lorihadams]

We used to have a pumpkin butter festival every fall at one of the campgrounds close to where I lived....long gone now, sold to developers....and we would make giant cast iron pots full of apple butter, pumpkin butter, and grape butter. Everyone at the festival would take turns stirring. Our stirring sticks were 2x4 posts in the shape of an "L" with handles on the longer part. You had to have 2 people to stir and constantly keep it moving in a figure 8 to keep it from sticking. It was all done over open fires. We also did cider with the big old fashioned press. There were crafts and food and live bluegrass music. So much fun, those were the good old days........

 

[Beekissed]

Well, the trip to SC coming up and I 'm not a bit prepared. I've been absolutely dead dog tired this weekend and had to skip the second day of the firewood ministry to take an all day nap.

I don't like this getting old! All this insomnia catching up to me....

Some of the city folk who participate(I use this term lightly~they cook some of the foods at times) in the ministry came to the house today and brought a load of the wood. It was all I could do to not laugh out loud when the one lady was mincing her way through my back yard with a disgusted look on her face!

She was not a bit impressed with the animals or anything else in the country. So funny that folks are so willing to eat all the dividends of country living as they shop for their foods imprisoned under cellophane.....but snurl their noses up when they see the real place from whence their food cometh.

I kept wishing for a big, steaming pile of Blossom love that she could step in with her shiney little loafers!

I know, I know....I'm mean! But if you could only have seen her face when the dogs came to greet her....she acted like they were carrying the plague to her. She tried to hit Lucy in the face! Lucy does NOT jump up on people.....much too lazy!

 

[dragonlaurel]

Well, the trip to SC coming up and I 'm not a bit prepared. I've been absolutely dead dog tired this weekend and had to skip the second day of the firewood ministry to take an all day nap.
I don't like this getting old! All this insomnia catching up to me....
Some of the city folk who participate(I use this term lightly~they cook some of the foods at times) in the ministry came to the house today and brought a load of the wood. It was all I could do to not laugh out loud when the one lady was mincing her way through my back yard with a disgusted look on her face!
She was not a bit impressed with the animals or anything else in the country.
I kept wishing for a big, steaming pile of Blossom love that she could step in with her shiney little loafers!
I know, I know....I'm mean! But if you could only have seen her face when the dogs came to greet her....she acted like they were carrying the plague to her. She tried to hit Lucy in the face! Lucy does NOT jump up on people.....much too lazy!

I'm glad you got your wood, Bee. That should be a big relief. Wish I could have seen the delivery. You should always wear old shoes working with wood anyway. Then it wouldn't matter much if there was a steaming pile of Blossom's finest. Or Lucy's since she was nasty to her. Would have served her right.

When you've been dealing with insomnia, and chopping wood- needing a day of rest is normal.You're not old- just well seasoned.

 

[Farmfresh]

I am surrounded by city people.

Yesterday I was talking to a woman at work. Other co-workers were asking me about my chicks (at least some of them are very interested in my weird life) when she began telling me (with faces and all) how disgusting it is that I eat my own animals that I raised. I countered by telling her that, since she too eats animals, she has no room to talk. PLUS if she only knew the quality of animals that SHE was eating and the conditions they were raised in she probably couldn't even swallow the meat! All of this conversation was said in a light way, but my point was made.

City people just don't get it.

As you see you are not the only "old foggie" that has trouble sleeping some nights! :/

 

[Dace]

City people are stupid.

 

[Beekissed]

Not all of 'em, Dace! There were a couple of other city gals here the same day and, at least one of them was fascinated by the animals and such....took pics and everything.

I think the country is just a little too raw and truthful for them to handle, ya know? It brings them face to face with where food actually comes from and they really, really didn't want to know....

They love the bucolic scenery and the cheerful red barns, cute little sheepies and cows~at a distance! Like in a picture. They do not want smellovision! I think they were a bit frightened to be that close to an actual farm animal without having a fence between them and the animal.

Granted, my animals don't really have any smells except maybe the dogs, but to actually SEE poop.....well, can you imagine it????? POOP! That is something their dogs do that is politely scooped and baggied and slid into a trash can.....it is against the law for it to lie upon the ground where people have to actually SEE it!

For the record, the only poop in the yard was from the calf and it was only a tiny steamy one......

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

For the record, the only poop in the yard was from the calf and it was only a tiny steamy one......

And her loafers missed it? oh darn!