This past weekend was the annual Apple Butter Festival here at our local State Park. I know I've mentioned before that the park actually borders our property and its one of the main reasons we bought our house. Its like having your own private park and lake with all its perks.
The Apple Butter Festival is probably my very favorite thing that takes place in the park. Its always in October when the leaves are bright and crunchy and its just cool enough to wear a sweater and enjoy the warmth of baked goods and simmering apples.
The main focus of the day, aside from the apples, is Shoaff's Mill. Here's the historical blurb about the mill from the State Park website...
Shoaff's Mill: When the Juniata Iron Works closed in 1848, its lands, buildings and equipment were divided up for sale. In 1849, William Shoaff purchased 63 acres of land including the gristmill and a log cabin. Shoaff continued to mill wheat flour, buckwheat flour, cornmeal and livestock feed, and made extensive improvements to the mill. A successful miller, he built a fine brick home for his family in 1861. This brick home is currently a private residence. William Shoaff died in 1888 and his wife, Catherine, took over operation of the mill until their son Ellis Shoaff bought and took possession of the mill in 1900. To increase the speed and power of the mill, Ellis Shoaff made improvements and bought one of the largest waterwheels east of the Mississippi. The wheel is still in use. Shoaff's Mill continued to operate until 1940. The mill has been renovated and is back in operation milling cornmeal, cracked corn and grinding apples for cider during educational programs and demonstrations.
The water wheel has always been a fascination for the boys (the big one and the little ones). No matter how many times we've seen the wheel in action it still intrigues them.
Old mill stones from the mill when it was still in operation...
Apples and the cider press that is also powered by the water wheel...
Yummy fresh samples...
The apple butter cooks all day. You can smell it as you walk the nearby trails around the lake.
If you drop off your own jars in the morning you can return late in the afternoon to find them full of fresh hot apple butter! Its like magic.
Combined with some homemade oat bread its a perfect breakfast!
Just one more reason to love fall!
That looks so wonderful! I love apples and making apple butter but sadly there aren't very many apples down here in Texas... Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Laura | October 27, 2008 at 11:35 PM
Yummy! I can almost smell the apple butter from here!
Posted by: SSK* | October 23, 2008 at 05:15 PM
Love the tour! What a charming spot. Thanks for posting about your day!
Posted by: Debbie | October 21, 2008 at 08:12 AM
Ohhh...delish!!!!
I remember a mini-mill wheel outside of Seward, Alaska that used to turn a grindstone. We'd always stop to sharpen pocket knives and our campfire wood axe when we were around that way. Something about them is mesmerizing!
Posted by: bezzie | October 20, 2008 at 07:11 PM