Belpre festival stirs apple butter lovers
Members of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church started working on making apple butter at 7:15 a.m. Sunday. They finished their first batch around 3 p.m. that day. (Photo by Clara Noelle)
Members of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church and helpers from the community put the butter in jars while it is still hot, in order to aid the sealing process. Church member Tom Webster explained it’s not necessary to pressurize the jars to seal them in that case. (Photo by Clara Noelle)
Members of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church and helpers from the community put the butter in jars while it is still hot, in order to aid the sealing process. Church member Tom Webster explained it’s not necessary to pressurize the jars to seal them in that case. (Photo by Clara Noelle)
Members of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church started working on making apple butter at 7:15 a.m. Sunday. They finished their first batch around 3 p.m. that day. (Photo by Clara Noelle)
Members of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church and helpers from the community put the butter in jars while it is still hot, in order to aid the sealing process. Church member Tom Webster explained it’s not necessary to pressurize the jars to seal them in that case. (Photo by Clara Noelle)
Members of the Pioneer Presbyterian Church and helpers from the community put the butter in jars while it is still hot, in order to aid the sealing process. Church member Tom Webster explained it’s not necessary to pressurize the jars to seal them in that case. (Photo by Clara Noelle)
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BELPRE -- The Belpre Lions Club hosted its 45th annual Apple Butter Stir Off at Civitan Park this weekend. The stir-off started on Saturday and continued through 6 p.m. Sunday. Along with the making, jarring and selling of apple butter, there was live entertainment as well as food and craft vendors.
The Pioneer Presbyterian Church made the apple butter with help from others in the community. Tom Webster, a member of the church, helped make the apple butter this weekend. He reported that they were at the park at 7:15 a.m. Sunday, only finishing the first batch around 3 p.m. that day.
According to Webster, they used a total of 14 bushels of apples, seven Golden Delicious and seven Rome. Webster said they use Romes or other cooking apples for the fiber. If they use apples that do not have as much fiber in them, the apple butter will not thicken up as it should.
After they peel, cut and mash the apples to make applesauce, they boil it down. After it starts to thicken they add sugar, red rocks and cinnamon oil. They boil it more, until it is thick again. Webster said they have to be careful when they add the cinnamon oil, because if they add it at the wrong time it can ruin the apple butter.
They jar the butter while it's still hot, so that they don't have to pressurize the jars to seal them. The hot apple butter seals the jar once it's cooled.
Webster reported that people originally made apple butter as a way to store their apples. They did not have refrigerators or anything else to keep their apples ripe, so they turned their apples into apple butter. According to Webster, a sealed jar of apple butter can last 5 or 6 years.
"Be careful though," said Webster, "If you leave the apple butter in the sun, the sugar will turn into alcohol."
Webster said that Sunday was a great day for making apple butter because of the cool temperature and the low humidity. Webster said humidity keeps the apple butter from thickening.
Clara Noelle can be reached at intern@newsandsentinel.com.