The Grand Finale

The stirring continued well into the night.

Finally! We sealed the last jar a little after 2:00 am this morning.

The final yield? A little over 43 gallons.

And I crawled into bed closer to 3:00 am,
and fell asleep to the "popping" sound of 85 million jars as they sealed.

When Life Gives You Apples, Make Apple Butter

We're almost 12 hours into it now.

We got started at 8 am with the peeling and coring.

The truck was filled with 20 bushels of this...

We all braved 27 degree weather to turn them into this...

The pits were adjusted to accommodate propane tanks
as opposed to wood fires.

We filled bushels baskets one by one.

And keep track of how many using a highly complex method.

We're waiting for the apples to "cook down" so the last couple of five-gallon buckets of apples can be added. This is the down time--the waiting time.



This is the break in the action that gives you a well-deserved opportunity to put your feet up, share stories and nibble a bit more of all the goodies brought by everyone.

It's a getting too dark to take photos, but I'll keep trying.

And, still to come--at the end--is putting the finished product into 85 million jars.

Time For Plan B

I made my rounds today, picking up the last of the items necessary to bring the weekend together.
I have 130 pounds of sugar in my truck. Thats a helldacious amount.

I stopped my The Well and picked up fresh allspice, cloves and cinnamon. While there, I visited with the shopkeeper and have found something to use in a pinch--something for those times when my mind is runing entirely too fast and I feel as if the top of my head will blow off at any second. I haven't tried it yet. I'm afraid. (I mean, which is worse? Having too much to do and your mind going crazy, or being so relaxed you get nothing done?)

By the time I got home from school and my errands, my backyard had been transformed.

The guys had built the retaining wall for the fire
and positioned two highly polished copper kettles,

added a garbage disposal to process the apples for cooking
(we are talking TWENTY BUSHELS folks),

set up the peeling table (complete with heat,
since it's supposed to be below freezing
when we start this stuff in the AM)
... and retrieved 20 bushels of apples.

The apples are inside the garage of JB's right hand man. We were afraid they'd be too much of a temptation for the deer if left out all night. Truth be known, we were more afraid of the damage to the Right Hand Man's shiny red truck, more than anything.

I spent 2-3 hours studying Glycolysis and Krebs Cycle in preparation of Monday's test. As I made my note cards, I heard noises that occasionally required me to peer out the window, just to keep abreast of the happenings. When I got the point where my head was overflowing with co enzymes and formulas, I went into the kitchen to prepare the brisket for barbecue.

I'll post the brisket recipe after/over the weekend. I put 12 pounds of meat in the oven before 8 AM and took it out at 7:30 PM. It is very tender and will be perfect for sandwiches tomorrow. I did half with barbecue sauce and half without--keeping in mind everyone's palate.

As I was busy chopping and stirring, JB shares a kink in the Apple Butter plans. He has researched (via internet) and has found that the statewide burning ban has been lifted--but not in our county. That means no wood fires!

Phone calls are made. Plans are shifted. He's thinking propane may keep us out of jail.

He goes outside to size up the situation. New pits will need to be dug to accommodate the propane burners...

A Recipe For Success

Last night JB called the elderly woman from his church--the same woman he called last year when he first thought of making apple butter.

After he identified himself, he asked her if she knew why he was calling.

"You've lost your recipe, haven't you?" she asked.

Photo note: The spices--allspice, cloves and cinnamon--are mixed with the remaining sugar and added to the pot as one of the final steps.

The Winds Of Change

Old man winter is teasing us. Cold enough to unpack the winter sweaters, then spring-like temperatures that make you wonder if you were too hasty in putting away the summer things. Tomorrow is expected to reach the mid 70s.

But the weekend temperatures should be in the 50s. The perfect weather for peeling and coring 20 bushels of apples with friends.

The men folk have been on the phone all evening. They're conspiring to start things Friday afternoon instead of early Saturday morning.

Two Weeks Till Apple Butter

It's a little scary to realize I have two weeks to prepare.

Last year we did 12 bushels and 3 couples. This year, JB has become a bit more ambitious and upped the ante to 20 bushels and 5 couples.

From Apple Butter

It is a great deal of work, but also a great deal of fun. The camaraderie is unsurpassed. For two days, we'll peel, cook and eat--not necessarily in that order, but you get the idea.

So, at this stage of the game, I trying to put together a menu plan that can embrace constant re-heating and multiple palates. Last year I did Taco Soup and homemade Queso. This year, I'm thinking maybe brisket.

Anyone have any ideas?