The subject of my postcard is "Cooking Apple Butter in Pennsylvania." I bought this card mainly because of the aprons. The postcard was published in 1955. The back has the following description:
In Pennsylvania, the cooking of apple butter is done in large fireplaces, either oudoors or in "summer houses". The women are expert in the combining of snitzed apples, spices, and cider to produce the tasty, dark applebutter eaten on bread or mixed with "smearkase".Snitzed apples are sliced apples. Smearkase is the Pennsylvania Dutch name for cottage cheese.
The first video shows an apple butter being made the old fashioned way outdoors over a fire in a large copper kettle.
The second video is about vintage aprons. I have several vintage aprons that I have bought in thrift stores. I love the look of old aprons, though I never actually wear them. A few years ago, I even bought a pattern for sewing an apron similar to the style shown on the postcard. I was thinking of making some aprons for Christmas presents, but changed my mind. I doubt that I will ever get around to using that pattern.
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I love cottage cheese, I wonder what effect the apple butter has on it. That's an interesting card.
ReplyDeleteWell. I am going right into the kitchen and opening a jar of apple butter I bought recently. I can't remember the last time I ate apple butter. It reminds me of my Grandmothers kitchen and her in her apron. Postcardy, that is so funny I bought an apron pattern also. I did buy some chintz but that is as far as it went. Maybe next Christmas.
ReplyDeleteW have more apples than we know what to do with but making apple butter seemed a good idea at first until I say that it looked more like an industrial process. Unfortunately I was unable to get your second video to work.
ReplyDeleteI had a little trouble with the second video near the end, but when ZI tried again I got all the way through it. It seemed like a strange problem.
DeleteGiven the detailed explanation in the video, that pretty postcard is actually hotter and harder work than it would seem on first glance. My dad grew up on a Maryland farm and remembers making both apple butter and Smearkase, so my memory is second-hand. (Though not my taste! Both are best on bread fresh from the oven)
ReplyDeleteNow that is a lovely vintage apron! "Snitzed apples..." I seem to have heard that in A Few of my Favorite Things from the Sound of Music...
ReplyDeleteWonderful!
Hazel
I love apple butter - and now I can see why it is expensive!!
ReplyDeleteI also have a (small) collection of aprons, yet never wear them. They are too nice to risk getting dirty!
I have never heard of apple butter but it sounds wonderful. I was surprised that the first photograph was as late as 1955 - it looks a bit of a dangerous task. .
ReplyDeleteIn the Shenandoah Valley, lots of churches and organizations sell homemade apple butter every year. It's fun to watch them boiling it on outdoor fires. One time when my girls were little, they were given a turn at stirring -- short lived fun anyway. I remember they threw pennies in the pot but I can't remember why except that the pennies came out nice and shiny. I hope the heat of boiling apples killed whatever germs went in on the pennies!
ReplyDeleteAs we finished up a jar of apple butter recently, I wondered how it was made. I think I will stick with making applesauce only.
ReplyDeleteWow. New words and new food in the one post! Excellent.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere along the line, everything you could possibly want to know is printed on the back of a postcard. And if it is not there, then it is on the picture on the front and gives scope for people such as yourself to embark on an exploration with fascinating results for your readers.
ReplyDeleteGood to see, and now I'm going to go eat some!
ReplyDeleteMy husband's parents are Dutch and they are big apple sauce eaters although they all call it apple mousse - and it is thicker than sauce.
ReplyDelete