Apple Butter Memories

We invite you to join us beginning this Sunday, October 5^th, to witness and take part in our annual tradition of making apple butter the old-fashioned way-- in large copper kettles over a fire! The hard work of turning 130 bushels of Golden Delicious apples into a tasty roll spread will take place over four days.  That should create enough for another season’s regular daily guest use and for the coveted golf tourney and Bingo prizes.

The tradition of homemade apple butter goes back to Capon’s early days in the 1940s. In the beginning, it was made outdoors under a lean-to near the Playhouse.  Later, a one story block building, known as the Summer Kitchen, was built in the lower parking lot past the Main House.  In 1985, Capon crews tore it down and replaced it with a 2-story structure that also hosts a canning kitchen.  Since that time, there have been two brick fireplaces to hold two apple butter stations.

The entire process is very labor intensive as the apples are hand-picked, cored, peeled and then snitted.  After being washed in Capon water, they are added to Capon water already in 40-gallon copper kettles.  Wood fires are built underneath the kettles and co-workers take turns stirring the fragrant boiling apple mixture with wooden paddles.  In true Tom Sawyer fashion, guests themselves are invited to take part by keeping the mix moving and not sticking to the bottom.

After about 5 ½ hours, the mixture turns light brown-- that’s when it's time to gradually add sugar.  Because the apple mixture must not boil too rapidly, you have to stir it constantly until it thickens and sticks together. Then the last ingredient can be added-- vanilla, which you stir until it is well-blended.  One of the unique features of Pearle’s apple butter (Capon named its apple butter in honor of our first head cook, Pearle Kump) is that it contains NO cinnamon.

Guests enjoy spreading Pearle's apple butter on our homemade rolls baked in our brick oven, spread over pancakes, placed on top of pork tenderloin, with peanut butter on a sandwich, or spread on our coffee cakes.  Many folks also have a tradition of bringing a jar (or more!) home to enjoy or share with family, friends, neighbors and pet-sitters.  :)

Have you helped stir a boiling kettle of apple-butter-in-the-making at Capon?  What is your favorite way to enjoy Capon's apple butter?  We'd love to hear from you!

Pearle's Apple Butter ingredients:

2 gal. Capon water

12 ½  bushels of Golden Delicious apples, washed, peeled, cored and sliced

75 lbs sugar
2 ½ cups vanilla.

Makes  25 gallons, 200 pints.

Fun Fact:  Along with the regular apple butter, Capon also makes a “sugar free” version (meaning no sugar-added) which is available upon guest request at their table and for sale in the Food Shop.