The Hartsburg American Legion Auxiliary has been in the apple butter game for the better part of five decades. It all begins with a group of volunteers on a perfectly average day in September. At the end of the process: hundreds of quarts of everyone’s favorite fall-time treat.

The operation starts on Thursday, with the delivery of approximately 50 bushels of apples from Waverly Orchard. On Friday, an assembly circle, composed of 50-60 volunteers, congregates to help peel, core and cut the apples. For hours on end, the apples are quartered, cut, cored, sliced and washed in preparation for the following morning.

At 6:00 am, the cooking process begins on Saturday. Men outside set up the fires, which blaze in large, copper kettles. Inside, apples from the previous day are washed, inspected and measured. The apples are then cooked until all visible lumps are gone. From there, sugar and cinnamon are added into the mix. Two hours later, the apple butter is nearly complete.

~ Read more in today’s Journal ~

By Sofi Zeman