Cookbook Friday: Jam and Apple Butter
On the farm where my great grandmother, Ethel Shepherd, grew up (between Price and Brush Mountains in Virginia), there was fruit aplenty in the summertime. There were wild blackberries in the pasture fields, and pear, wild plum, and cherry trees nearby. They also had a small apple orchard. Sometimes, they would even borrow a team of horses and wagon to go up the mountain for the day to pick huckleberries, packing sandwiches and water for lunch.
The fruit was eaten fresh in season, and then canned, dried, or preserved to enjoy the rest of the year. Here were her techniques for making jam and apple butter:
Jam
Preserves were made by measuring one cup of fruit to one cup of sugar, and boiling in an open pot until thick. To judge thickness, put a spoonful on a saucer and let cool to see how it sets. This requires twenty minutes minimum for strawberries, and more for other things depending on the ripeness of the fruit.
Apple Butter
Making apple butter presented an occasion for neighbors to get together. Peeled apples were cut into snits (small sections). The next day, the 40-gallon copper kettle was set up over an open fire with several gallons of cider in it. The apples were dumped into the kettle and cooked to a mush. Then, the sugar and spices were added and it was cooked some more. It had to be stirred constantly. The stir was ten to fifteen feet in length, with a crossbar on the handle. The stirring was done by two people at a time, preferably a courtin’ couple. If they hit the handle on the kettle with the stir, they got to kiss!
And you’re buying your apple butter at the store!
Makes me want to go a-courtin'! Should you really be talking about this when your 12-step program is struggling?
Posted by: andrea | May 16, 2008 at 06:42 PM
Andrea: I have a sword and a pistol by my side just in case!
Posted by: Tammy | May 16, 2008 at 06:54 PM
I really love hearing about your forebears, Tammy. You're really lucky to have such a well-documented legacy. :)
Posted by: Heather | May 17, 2008 at 09:55 PM
I've never made apple butter, and though we have plenty of apple trees and way more apples than we can usually use, does that mean I have to wait until the end of summer for my kiss LOL!
I'm loving your blog.
Posted by: gillie | May 18, 2008 at 08:09 AM
Gillie: The rules have been updated since the 1900s. Last I read, if there's an apple anywhere in the near vicinity, that counts for a kiss. With tongue.
Heather: I just hope I don't piss off my dead ancestors too much. I'm easily spooked.
Posted by: Tammy | May 19, 2008 at 06:12 PM