As the years and seasons go by in my housekeeping career, I find myself adding to my small collection of canning expertise. This year for the first time I did up (with some mother-in-law and sister-in-law help) about 70 quarts of apple pie filling. And today I was helping a friend make apple butter. I decided I like it after all. At first I was apprehensive and wondering if this was really worth making. I’ve always enjoyed my bread best with just butter. Occasionally I will put on jam, but hardly ever this brown stuff called apple butter. It didn’t look very desirable getting dark brown and swirling with pineapple lumps. Then after it was all finished I licked off the spatula and fell in love with the warm, fresh apple butter!
Also for the first since we’ve been married, we butchered up a pig the other day. I agreed, knowing Japheth loves his pork’s ribs, chops and sausage. I am not much of a meat eater especially pork. Well, I’m learning a few things. I do really like pork roast, chops, and the sausage was sooo good in a stromboli recipe. It brings variety to my cooking.
I did grow up with pork. My job on butchering day was to clean the pig stomach and peel the outer layer off. Later this was filled with potatoes and bread or something like that and called “Dutch Goose.” I never ate it. I didn’t like the “sweet bread”(pancreas) either, or fried brains . . . or the cracklings. I’m just too squeamish or something.
Saturday evening I will make liver and onions for supper. Do you want to know why? I . . . uhmm . . . do NOT like liver. It’s gross. I think it’s mostly the texture. For the same reason, I do not like slimly canned mushrooms. But my children have to eat things they do not appreciate and my husband dutifully eats a bit of zucchini quiche. So now I have to be a good sport and eat liver. It is very good for me in the fact that it has lots of iron that I lack especially when I’m pregnant. If I were stoic, I might eat some every day instead of taking iron supplements. Secondly, it’s the Stauffer family night and hopefully we’ll eat all of our liver supply up!
Back to apple butter, I remember my Grandparents making it outside in a big black kettle. Pop would stand by stirring it quite often so that it wouldn’t burn and tend the fire carefully. It’s a good feeling to keep up the family traditions, not that we made apple butter outside, but that we made it and enjoy it. Butchering doesn’t hold it’s appeal that it did when I was a little girl, but there is a certain satisfaction of going to the freezer and pulling out something that you put lots of effort into and saved money in the process.
This evening I had a bedtime snack of homemade wheat bread and homemade apple butter.
I am satisfied . . . with the day well spent.
4 comments:
It is fun to can different things, but I guess I find myself scratching to keep up with the basics. I did can BBQ sauce this year which made me feel good. I guess I'll have to make applebutter in order to fall in love with it. I don't care for it. I enjoy keeping up with your life by reading your blog. Have a great day!
Umm, It all sounds so ummy, except for the pig isides... I do love fresh warm apple butter and should have done some up this year. I'm like you, though, just picking up the art of canning. Definitly not to wear I would want to venture out on my own!
Liver, oooyuck. reminds of the song Val's children sang at SMBI "Liver makes me quiver with sheer delight" WEll it makes me quiver anyway.....
I certainly share your sentiments on the liver idea! But my hubby really likes it so I do make it for him. I always feel just a twinge of guilt for only tasting a bite when the children dutifully eat theirs. :)My mom used to fry it for my dad in the morning for breakfast and waking up to that smell is not one of my favorite childhood memories. :) :) Applebutter sounds much better!! Have a wonderful day! Joy
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