The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-04-29
"REMINISCENCES.

Is informed, To Western Pennsylvania
and Maryland, called ''apple-buttcr, -
was considered as necessary on the
table of the old taverns and farm hOus-
es, as anything that was on il. If this
article is not, or rather, was not, in
digenous 10 this country, ii was, at
least, made in its purity here. a few
weeks ago the writer saw a large buck
ct or several buckets, from Pittsburg,
marked as somebody's apple-butter,
guaranteed TO contain seventy per cent.
pure cider and apples, and thirty per
cent. sugar, and some kind of syrup,
Shades of our grandmOthers What
would they say If they could see that
kind of stuff, and be compelled to set it
before their guests as apple-butter. Even
| General Coffroth, who knows all about
apple-butter, and is somewhat fond Of
il, would turn away i'm disgust, if il
were set before him. In the writer's
boyhood days apple-butter making
was great event. The apples for the
cider were carefully selected, they
were crushed or ground in an old-fash-
ioned mill, the "cheese" made just the
right thickness, and the cider strained
through clean rye straw, running
away brown, clear, sparkling, pure.
In those days there was no such thing
as hydraulic steam crusher and press
with a power OF sixty tons or more,
making the pomace dry enough to
burn, while the cider il as tasteless a.
rotten wood, but, as stated, the old
fashioned mill, and the old "beam' or
''screwn press. What if good deal Of
I fluid were left in the pomace The
hogs could eat il, or the addition of "A
little water on it made the best of vine
gar, and the cider had "body" to il
I that is never seen in these degenerate
days. You can never see the small
boy nowadays around cider press,
with rye straw in his mouth, suck
ing the seductive fluid into his stom-
ach, until it fairly Overilows. Oh,
never, If boy goes to a modern
cider mill now, he stands around look
ing on awhile, in half-hearted listless
way, and if the attendant hands him a
cup of cider he drinks il with a melan-
chOly longing in his eyes, that seem 10
be looking for something better, and
goes his way seeking for some other
means of enjoyment. Bat give that
boy straw, and stream of rich
brown cider running out into the gut
ter of the platform of an old-time cider
mill from the ''cheese, " and he is in q
seventh heaven" of delight. In ad-
dition to the pure cider required to
make the old-fashioned appie-butter,
the apples for the thickening were Sc
lected, if possible, with more care than
those from which the cider was made.
An apple called the "pear-main" WAS
famous in-this country for cider, and
the rusty-coat sweet for the thickening,
although frequently, both the cider
aud thiekening apples were sweet.
As rule, however, the app.e-butter
was preferred little tartish. The ap-
piles for the thickening were pared and
eored 81 that not a seed or knot or Bit
of pairing remained. The cider had TO
he boiled until il was 50 thick, con-
sisienee readily recognized by the
good housewife; the other apples were
cooked while until they were 50 soft,
condition also well-known to an eX-
perienced person, when they were
poured into the boiling cider. Then
the stirring commenced, the imple-
ment used for this purpose consisting
of smooth board some two and half
feet long and six inches wide, with
some holes bored in one end, and more
or less elabOrately finished, Il hole at
the other end into which a smOO. h
pole, some ten feet long, was fastened.
The lower end of the board was some
what oval in form so that it would fit
the bottom of the kettle, while the
stirring process was going cn. y cop
per kettle always had TO be used, Mt
least one of which was owned by every
farmer or housekeeper, for nearly the
express purpose of making apple-but-
ter. One of these kettles was always
| considered n Necessary part of the out
fit, when a girl was married. The
writer remembers once seeing a ma
chine, made by an ingenious farmer,
for stirring apple-butter, which turned
with a crank, the board fitting the bot
tom of the kettle and keeping the APP
ple-butter constantly loose; but then
there was very little fun in using il,
for one person could turn the crank,
whereas, with the old pole stirrer, two,
a young man and a young woman,
Were required. 1t seemed n little sim
gular that the stirrer did not go with
nearly so much regularity or smooth
ness when two girls or two boys had
hold of the handle, as when they were
of the opposite sex. Apple-butter boil
iBgs were very common, in the old
times. The young folks of the neigh
borhood, and some not so young some
times, were invited to help cut apples,
some of which were to be made into
''snitz," and some into apple-butter,
and when the cider had been boiled to
proper consistenee the cut apples
were put in. As mentioned, 1t always
required two persons of opposite sex, to
manipulate the stirrer properly, for
woe to the couple who permitted the
apple-butter to burn fast to the bottom
of the kettle. A country girl who
would so far forget her teachings as to
allow such an accident would lose
caste; consequently, Notwithstanding
''eyes that looked love into eyes
again." she had to be constantly on
her guard. The lady of the house, Of
course, had the whole business under
her supervision, SO that burning did
not often occnr. The writer well re-
members an apple-butter boiling he at
tended when he was many years
younger than he is now. There was
quite large party assembled, and Of
course, with so many youngsters to-
gether, there was fun. After a while,
when the apples for thickening were
ready, and the cider in receptive
condition" the younger and more gid
dy members of the party managed to