Those warm pints of apple butter are the most popular purchases of the season, according to Jessi DeVore, Apple Butter chairman of the Enon Community Historical Society.
People love watching the process of the copper kettles full of brown apple butter being stirred for hours. Sometimes they even get stir apple butter with the big wooden paddles themselves. And they learn that stirring for long requires some muscle. Then they watch the steaming thick apple butter being transferred to the canning tent, and finally preserved in pint-sized glass canning jars.
Two jars can be purchased at once and they are tucked like twins into brown paper bag “incubators.” As they walk around the festival folks like to hug the jars for warmth on cool days.
“They love to hear the “pop” when the canned apple butter cools enough to seal the jar,” said DeVore adding that apple butter cannot be fresher than this.
However, only two jars can be purchased at once. But nothing keeps a person from going through the line again or coming back the next day to buy more. I won’t tell on you.
The Enon Apple Butter has long been a gift of hospitality or a special item for holiday giving. We’ve gifted Enon Apple Butter to friends in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Tennessee. It is always a hit.
What a wonderful way to start the holiday shopping season.
In addition to the apple butter making demonstration, the Enon Apple Butter Festival is known for long rows of quality craft booths. We almost always buy our first Christmas gifts this weekend. Many of our local non-profit organizations have fundraisers at the festival. They appreciate the community support.
The festival begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday with music by the Greenon Band and Choir. Closing time is 6 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday.
There is always a big variety of foods available for purchase for lunch or supper. One of the new favorites is pork cooked in apple butter by the Wholly Smokes BBQ food truck. All the regular favorites will be there too; chicken and noodles, pork chops, bean soup, apple dumplings, walking tacos, cootie corn, homemade pies, kettle corn, cheeseburgers, BBQ, brats, etc.
I like to plan ahead and take some home for a leftover feast later in the week.
A 5K run Sunday morning includes a circle around the Enon Mound. It is unique fun that reminds us that the first Enon apple butter was made from fruit trees growing on the mound. No one knows who planted them.
There is plenty of parking behind the old brick elementary school, so visitors are asked to not park in business parking lots like Rite Aid.
And don’t forget. No pets are allowed at the Apple Butter Festival for myriad reasons. When pet owners see the apple butter making process, they will understand.
This marvelous fall weather is not going to last much longer, enjoy this weather and take time to smell the apple butter.
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