Appalachian Apple Butter

From West Virginia down to Kentucky, the mountain tradition of making apple butter in the fall dates back at least to the late eighteenth century, when the condiment was prepared out of doors in large black iron kettles. Today, the Pennsylvania Dutch lay claim to apple butter as a commercial specialty, but I’ve yet to sample a jar of theirs that can compare with the silky smooth, perfectly spiced, homemade examples I’ve had deep in the Southern Appalachians. And, by the way, the folks in Mi