Reviving Old Traditions

I am not sure why women ever stopped having social gatherings where they worked together to support one another and carry out communal tasks like canning, baking, knitting, sewing or quilting. Why did we allow these old quilting bee type of customs to die out? Some might think that it was caused by the invention of our modern appliances and household conveniences. Maybe it is a result of fragmented families? Maybe we bought the idea of feminist movement to get out of the house and demand our equal rights in the workplace.

I consider it a privilege to be the manager of my home and a stay-at-home mom. Although I had the opportunity to pursue a professional career before and part-time during the years that I raised my family, my biggest joys in life came from my involvement in the lives of my children, their friends and the women in my community. I have tried to revive some of these old fashioned quilting bee type traditions in a bit of a more modern style. I have organized crafting clubs, sewing circles, even participating with a table in a few Christmas boutiques. A few friends and I tried our hand at cooking 30 meals in a day-way before it became popular. Now one of my favorite things to do is canning jam and apple butter with friends. I love the concept of gathering with other women and working on projects together. We can learn so much from each other. We can talk through our troubles and get and give advice. We can be a sisterhood that encourages and supports one another.

Here we are ready for a day of making apple butter and sharing our current joys and challenges…discussing balancing time with our husbands and grown children and grand children, finding teachable moments to pass on our years of mommy wisdom and many other topics.

Apple Butter
1 gallon unfiltered organic apple juice (we use Trader Joes brand)
4 quarts (about 8 lbs.)cored and cut up apples (no need to peel)
1 cup white sugar
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1-2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
Pour the apple juice into a LARGE heavy pot (about 4 gallon size). Bring apple juice to a boil and slowly boil uncovered until volume is reduced by half. Add the cored and chopped apples a few cups at a time, stirring all the time. Boil uncovered until the apples become a thick and glossy mixture. Please stir constantly or mixture will stick and burn! Stir in the cinnamon and spices. Remove apple butter from burner and stir until all the sugar and spices are mixed in and completely dissolved. Ladle into hot sterilized pint-sized Ball jars. Fill to within ¼ inch of the top and seal. Turn upside down immediately until cool. When cooled, place jars right side up and make sure every one of them has sealed properly or you have to process in a simmering hot water bath for 10 minutes until they seal.

When I make this with my friend, we make 4 times the recipe and divide it between two HUGE pots.We put the apple juice on to boil 4 hours before we start to add apples and we let it simmer and reduce by ½ while we are doing other projects around the house.
30-40 pounds of apples make 40-45 pints of apple butter.

What old traditions would you like to see revived that would bring women together?