Approx. 6 bushels apples, cut and peeled
2 gallons cider
30 gallon copper kettle and long handle paddle

Pour the cider and enough apples to half fill the kettle, to start the cooking. Stir constantly with paddle to prevent scorching. As apples cook down, continue adding more apples. Cooking takes several hours, with constant stirring. When mixture becomes dark brown and quite thick, add about 12 pounds of sugar. Cook another 1/2 hour, then add spices: 2 bottles oil of cinnamon, 6 ounces dry cinnamon, 1 1/2 bottles oil of cloves, 2 1/2 ounces of dry cloves.

Continue cooking another 1/2 hour to thoroughly blend spices. Remove kettle from fire to ladle apple butter into jars. Seal while hot. Save out enough to eat on hot biscuits when job is done.

Years ago, apple butter was made on nearly every farm that had a home orchard. This was a family affair, and sometimes 2-3 families would make a joint project of it. Everyone helped to peel and slice the apples a few days ahead of cooking day. Men would have a supply of fire wood ready. Kettles were hung on a frame over the fire, or placed on a special furnace made to hold the large kettle. Cooking would start early in the morning with several people there ready to take turns with the constant stirring. Stories were told of tossing pennies into the pot to prevent the apples from sticking to the bottom. The pennies would become bright and shiny, but care had to be taken to remove the right number of pennies from the finished batch. Amounts of sugar and seasonings vary with taste, and there was usually much to-do about sampling at this point before all agree that it was just right.

During World War II a community cannery was built on Criglersville school grounds. Then apple butter was made in the big steam kettles there. The job was shortened considerably by cooking the apple chunks in lard cans, into which a steam pipe was inserted. The resulting apple sauce was added to the kettle, and could be cooked without such constant stirring. The cannery is gone now, but the old outdoor open kettle method of making apple butter has been revived in recent years as fund raising projects by churches and other organizations. The craft fairs that are currently popular usually have fresh made apple butter for sale, and often have a kettle cooking for demonstration.