Grampas and Apple Butter

I miss my Grampa.

It’s been sixteen years ago this month since he passed away, and every so often there are times when it feels like he’s still here with me.  Today was one of those days.

I came across an awesome recipe for apple butter that is made in the crock pot – seriously, how easy is that?  Thumbs up for not slaving over a hot stove.  When I was about halfway through peeling my bazillionth apple, I started to get really frustrated over how tedious apple peeling really is.  I just wanted my pretty little apple chunks ready to go, and I was getting sick and tired of peeling, peeling, peeling.  Then I suddenly thought of my Grampa, and how he seemed to have such fun peeling HIS apples.

Grampa contracted polio in his younger days, and later in life suffered from post-polio syndrome.  I don’t ever remember a time when he didn’t have his ever-present crutches and leg brace.  Grampa was always in the kitchen, helping out my Gramma by doing the food prep.  He seemed to take such great care in everything he did.  After getting comfortable in one of the kitchen chairs (obviously he couldn’t stand at the counter for long periods of time), he would get everything all lined up in front of him, and would only start after sharpening his knives.  Then, with great care, he would expertly peel, dice, chop, or slice whatever it was he needed to do.

It wasn’t all work – he would make it fun, at least when I was around.  He never rushed.  One of my favorite things as a young girl was to watch my Grampa peeling an apple.  He would start at the top, and carefully cut the peel away in one big spiral piece  -  and I was always amazed to watch him do it. Although there were a lot of things my Grampa couldn’t do physically, he took great care in working with his hands – whether it was creating one insanely long, continuous apple peel for his little granddaughter, or working on a masterful woodcarving for my Gramma, or making a footstool to give away to a friend.

My Grampa had such joie de vivre… always had a very funny (and always clean) joke ready to tell, and was so much fun to be around.  I wonder if he ever regretted that he couldn’t run around with me in the backyard like other grandfathers could do with their grandkids.  Well, no matter – because although he never pitched a baseball to me, the lessons I learned at his kitchen table are still with me today.

All those memories came to me in a rush while I was standing at the kitchen counter, frustrated with my apples.  I realized I wasn’t taking any kind of care with then – just peeling (hacking, really) away at those skins and chunking them into the crock pot as quickly as I could.  I decided to slow down with those last four or five apples, and it became almost a small, private tribute to my beloved Grampa.  My stress just melted away as I took my time with those last few apples.

I know that with each little spoonful of my apple butter, I will have a gentle reminder of my dear Grampa, and how he did the best in everything he did.

I miss him.

~~~~~

Crock Pot Apple Butter, courtesy of Southern Plate

• 2- 3 lb (50 oz) jars unsweetened apple sauce
• 3 lbs granny smith apples
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp allspice

Peel and cut apples into small chips. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and stir. Cover and cook on low overnight (eight to ten hours). Remove cover, stir and taste. Add more spices or sugar if desired. Continue cooking for a few more hours, uncovered, until some of the liquid has gone and butter has cooked down a bit. Pour into jars and refrigerate (unless it is canned properly).