On Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:40:52 -0500, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>Ross@home wrote:
>> I've been going through some of my old cook books and getting a real
>> kick out of some of the stuff I've read. I have posted a few snippets
>> over in rec.food.cooking, now here's something for RFP.
>> It's from "The Complete Practical Confectioner", Copywrited by J.
>> Thompson Gill in 1890.
>> The recipe for Apple Butter:
>> Take 9 gallons of cider; boil down to three gallons; add to the
>> boiling cider about 3 gallons of apples that have been pared and
>> quartered; boil rapidly for about 2 hours without ceasing, to prevent
>> the apples from sinking. By this time they are well reduced and will
>> begin to sink. Thus far no stirring has been done, but must be
>> commenced as soon as the apples begin to sink, or they will scorch;
>> sweeten and spice to taste; stir without ceasing until it is reduced
>> to a thick smooth pulp, which will take about half an hour. Apple
>> butter made in this way has been kept perfectly good over two years
>> without sealing, and is a better article than that made in the usual
>> way.
>> Peaches and other fruits may be treated in a similar manner.
>>
>> I don't think I'll bother.
>>
>> Ross.
>
>
>Sounds about like making ketchup. You start with a bushel of fresh
>garden-ripe tomatoes, add vinegar and a bunch of expensive sugar and
>spices, then hours later (after messing up *everything* in the
>kitchen) you eventually end up with 2 1/2 pints of ketchup that is
>almost as good as the stuff you buy at the store for 88¢ per quart.
>:-) And theirs has a better color.
>
>Every gardener should do this once.

And only once! For us it was about 15 + years ago. Took hours and, as
you said, disappointing colour plus it wasn't the greatest tasting
stuff we'd ever made. The one saving grace was one grandson (about 8
YO at the time) said it was the best ketchup he ever tasted. It was
the only stuff he would eat until it was gone.

Ross.