Apple Butter, Episode 2

My recent post about apple butter making was an account of a “public” event at our friends Pat and Valerie’s place a month ago.  A couple weeks ago we learned that there was going to be a second episode of apple butter making, this time pretty much restricted to a close circle of friends.  We are, fortunately, part of that circle.

The appointed day for the apple butter rendering was a brutal cold, raw, windy and rainy day.  In response Pat and Valerie set up the cauldron inside their boiling hearth, normally holding the sugar water boiling pan for making maple syrup.  Being a creative guy, Pat removed the pan and rigged up his cauldron with a propane burner to cook the apple chips.  Or maybe it was Valerie’s idea, I don’t rightly remember.

This made the entire event even more charming and cozy.

So there we were in this homey setting, stirring and adding apple chips to the bubbling cauldron until after several hours it was time to add the spices.  Normally sugar would also be added but this batch of apples was so sweet naturally none was needed.

The spices were stirred in for another half hour.

At the proper time the canning began with a well-honed assembly line.  Once again my task was to take away the full cases loaded with the still-hot apple butter.

Out came the fresh biscuits, made with loving excellence by Pat’s sister.  The scrumptious biscuits were used to clean out the cauldron.   Yummmmm.

Another day well spent.