New Liberty Freewill Baptist Church starts winter by making apple butter
Published 8:59 am Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Contributed Photo/CY Peters Pastor Ray Colbaugh tasting the apple butter to see if its ready.
Contributed Photo/CY Peters Curtis Huskins putting the sugar in the iron pot.
Contributed Photo/CY Peters Lynn Peters takes a group on a old time hay ride.
Contributed Photo/CY Peters Aaron Greer working on a quilt.
Contributed Photo/CY Peters Colonel Sanders and Grand ole Opry Star Carson Peters.
Contributed Photo/CY Peters Lisa and Della filling up the jars of homemade apple butter.
By CY Peters
Apple butter was originally invented in Limburg, which is present day Belgium and the Netherlands, and Rhineland, present day Germany, during the Middle Ages. As the first monasteries began to form, the idea of apple butter emerged. To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from steam for two minutes. It is done if the butter remains mounded on the spoon. Another way to determine when the butter is cooked adequately is to spoon a small quantity onto a plate. Or you can do it like Stoney Creek’s Curtis Huskins did on Saturday at New Liberty Freewill Baptist Church. Take a big spoon, dip it in the boiling apple butter, blow it for a few seconds then pass around the spoon and let everyone take their right index finger, take a swipe, taste, and if you want a second taste, it’s ready for the jars. This method seems to be the best as the “Rock Church” celebrated winter with making apple butter, hayrides, quilt making and even a blacksmith showed up to show the kids how to make metal crosses.
The morning started off pretty cool with temperatures falling to the low 30s as Aaron Greer set up his tent getting ready for the day’s activities. Church members, family and friends all gathered. Even Colonel Sanders dropped by for a taste of the homemade apple butter.
Apple butter that has been continuously refrigerated will generally stay at best quality for about one year but mine will only last a few good mornings with a big buttered biscuit.
How can you tell if opened apple butter is bad or spoiled? The best way is to smell and look at the apple butter: if the butter develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, or if mold appears, it should be discarded, but that has never happened in Peters Hollow. Simply because I have apple butter on my biscuits every morning and a pint only lasts about a week.
Lisa Carden Ashley began picking apples a couple of months ago preparing for this big day. Lynn Peters showed up on a tractor pulling a trailer filled with hay as the kids and adults took turns riding around what used to be the block or the old road up to the church. Former Pastor Ray Colbaugh was there to help with the tasting of the apple butter and took his turn at quilting. When they went inside for a meal and a special event called a “cake walk,” Ray was the first one to win. All in all it was a good day and turned out being pretty warm. Most people left with a pint of apple butter but I left with more because I promised Kenny Greer I would get his picture in the paper and on Fox News.
