When the mornings are nippy and the winesaps or fall pippins or any such apples hang ripe upon the trees, prepare to stir apple butter. You will need:

1 copper kettle about sixteen gallon size.

1 rig to support the kettle over a fire in the yard. The kettle should hang high enough that a good fire underneath will not touch the kettle. Only the flame may touch.

1 apple butter stirrer. This is a clean straight pole some eight feet long with a paddle about 18 inches long by three to four inches wide affixed perpendicularly to one end. It may have holes in the lower end.

8 to 10 bushels of apples - depending upon how much cider and butter you want.

1 cider mill or 1 1/2 gallons of cider from the store.

2 1/2 pounds sugar for each gallon of apple butter expected

Many pots, pans, and neighbors or kinsmen.

Many knives to peel.

1 small vial of oil of cinnamon or oil of cloves.

On the day before, make or procure the cider; bring in enough wood to keep a boiling fire going for some six hours; peel and core and split into eights as many apples as you can. If four people peel all afternoon, you will get a good start. Of course an apple peeler helps, even if it is not traditional.

Make up a stew or something handy to give your helps for lunch tomorrow.

Store the peeled apples in non-metallic containers set about wherever they can perch.

Fairly early the next morning:

Call in the helpers and set them to peeling.

Scour out the copper kettle with salt and vinegar. Rinse thoroughly. Rinse again. Rinse a third time. Hang it above the spot for the fire.

Put into the kettle the cider and the apples peeled yesterday. Make the fire under the kettle and appoint an official fire tender and apple stirrer. The stirring does not start yet, but everything needs watching.

As more apples are peeled, add them to the kettle, never filling the kettle more than 3/4 full. As the apples boil down, more cuts may be added.

Keep the fire just hot enough to keep the kettle boiling.

When the contents of the kettle begin to look like apple sauce (except for newly added cuts), appoint two people to stir time about. The kettle must be stirred constantly from then on.

When the contents look like light applesauce, estimate the number of gallons in the kettle and add 2 1/2 pounds of sugar per gallon expected. Vary to taste of course. Boil slowly for another hour and test. The test is to drop a teaspoon of the butter onto a cold plate. If no rim of liquid appears around the edges of the butter, it is done. Reduce the fire somewhat.

Now the oil of cloves or cinnamon goes in by the drop. Start with three drops to the estimated gallon, stir thoroughly and vary to taste.

Now call your helpers for their reward. You have asked each of them to bring a quart jar or two. Fill them and seal. Fill your own jars, seal, and set to cool. The last half-gallon can go into a large bowl for immediate use.

By this time the shades of evening are falling. It is suggested that the household - men, women and children - REST.