Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-11-04

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture.)
If you have more peaches, pears, or
plums than you can use fresh or care
to can or dry. by all means utilize some
Of them for fruit buffers. The apples
which will not keep fresh for winter
use may be kept in the form of apple
butter IL the family can be restrained
from eating all of it before cold wealth
err arrives. With food so scarce and
high this year none should be allowed
to go to waste. Fruit buffers not only
will utilize the surplus. but will make
also additional delicacies which will
add variety to any meal during the
winter.
On many farms apple butter time
is an enjoyable season long looked for
ward to and not soon forgotten. The
delicious odors of the spicy butter
when they fill the kitchen, tend to
make the one who is entrusted with
keeping the butter from burning for
get the long and wearisome stirring.
Fruit butter requires time and labor
but it is well worth the effort and
the reward comes when the delicious
product is served during the winter.
The familiar sight, some years ago.
of apple butter being made in cop
per kettle hung over an out-of-door
fire is not common in these days. the
modern housewife, however, has not
lost the art though she makes her fruit
butter on the kitchen range.
An enamel-lined, aluminium or other
good preserving kettle, a colander,
wire sieve, potato masher, measuring
cups. knives and pans, are all the uten-
sils that are needed in the making OF
fruit butter.
Apple Butter Made With Cider.
Almost any apple will make good ap-
pie butter, but that which is OF good
quality and will cook well is most sat
isfactory. There is no better way to
use good apples and the sound por-
tons of windfalls, wormy, and bruised
apples. than to make them into butter.
Varieties Of coarse texture make
rather coarse product unless 1t Is put
through a colander or a wire sieve.
Such varieties ought to De made into
apple sauce and be put through col
ander or wire sieve before adding them
to the boiled cider. Sometimes sweet
apples are used with tart apples, the
usual proportion being one-third of the
former to two-thirds Of the latter.
Overripe apples are not desirable, Dat
IL they must be used, a little vinegar
should be added to give some snap TO
the butter. The amount of vinegar re-
uuired must be determined by the
taste. Only fresh, sweet cider or COM
mercial sterilized cider should be USED.
This should be boiled down to about
half it's original quantity. If boiled
cider is canned and bottled hot, in ster-
llized containers it will be available Tor
future use in making apple butter.
The peeled and sliced apples may
be cooked in the boiled cider to make
the butter In one operation or they
NAV be made first into apple sauce
which is then cooked in the boiled
cider. The cooking should be contin-
ned until the cider and the apples do
not separate and the butter when cold
is as thick as good apple sauce. De-
termine the thickness at frequent in
tervals BY cooling small portions. 1t
usually takes about equal quantities
Of sweet cider and peeled and ripe APP
pies to make butter Of the right con-
sistency. In other words, five gallons
of sweet cider should be boiled down
to two and half gallons and five gal
Ions of peeled and sliced apples should
be added to it either uncooked or as
apple sauce.
Apple Butter Essentials.
Two of the essentials of making
good apple butter are long, slow cook
ing flour to six hours) and constant
stirring. If sugar is used, add it af-
ter the cooking of the cider and apples
is about two-thirds done. The usual
proportion is about a pound of either
white or brown sugar per gallon OF
butter. Spice it according to taste;
about one-half teaspoonful of each
of brown cinnamon, cloves, and all
spice being used to each gallon. These
are stirred into it when the cooking
is finished.
While still boiling hot, pack in hot
sterilized jars, glasses, or hermetically-
sealed stone jars with tightly-ftting
covers. Process in steam by placing
the containers. filled and with tops on,
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