I figured it would be nice to share a few of my WV recipes with you guys and first I would like to share the magic of apple butter.
For those who don't know apple butter is made by cooking down apples until they are like applesauce then cooking it even more until it caramelizes to a beautiful dark brown color. You can make different flavors of apple butter like clove, ginger but traditionally you will see it as cinnamon. My family makes and sells our apple butter across the state of West Virginia and most recently we had a huge event in Ripley, Wv at the state arts and crafts festival. Here are some pics below so you can see what I am talking about. Now you can cook apple butter on a stove top in a pot and just cook and stir until it suits you but here is how it has always been done traditionally in the country.
First you need a big copper kettle and a fire pit. Peel a ton of apples of your choice and cut add to the pot with a little bit of water. Cook that baby over a open fire for as many hours as it takes. (We have 40 Gallon kettle at it takes upward of 10-15 hours to cook, its an all day affair.) When it is close add you sugar, but don't add flavor until your ready to can. Canning is tricky for those who are just starting it and you should look up a professionals guid to that and take it seriously, you don't want food-born illnesses in your canned foods.
I hope you guys will one day get to make this, it is a load of fun to do and a great bonding thing as well. Stretch your culinary mind and see the different things you can do with this classic tradition.
-Alexandra L. Cruikshank
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