the old fashioned way?
any of you do it?
by old fashioned way i mean in a copper kettle with a wooden stirrer in the yard?
since i have alot of apples i usually stir off about 3 kettles a year. i sell some locally to alot of people who dont have the time or knowledge to make their own.or just dont wanna make the effort.
my kettle isnt a huge one. it holds 28 quarts of finished butter.
its very thick when completed. it generally takes 8-10 hrs to stir off a kettle .
that time can vary depending on the variety of apples you use because some are more juicy than others so the cook off time will be longer.
it usually takes around 15 lbs of sugar to sweeten a kettle to my liking then i add cinnamon oil to taste. i prefer it a bit spicy but i make some less spicy as well.
its something i have dome since i was a kid helping my grandparents, then my parents as well and its a very enjoyable day.
we usually invite the family over and cook out and make a family get together out of it and everyone that helps, gets a jar to take home.
depending on the apple used it usually takes close to 2 bushels give or take of apples to make my kettle full.
i peel and core the apples and sometimes cook them down a bit on the stove before adding them to the copper kettle. it depends on how much stirring help im gonna have. if you dont cook em down a bit first, like a lumpy applesauce, it takes longer to stir off a kettle.
