‘Applebutter: A Labor of Love’ Short Film

Apple Peeling Day at Hiltons United Methodist Church, Hiltons, Virginia, is a part of preparations for making apple butter. (Photo Courtesy of the Archives of Appalachia)

By Patrick Cooley, Dr. Rebecca Adkins Fletcher, and the Archives of Appalachia

Introduction by Patrick Cooley:

Apple Butter has a rich history in Appalachia. It likely traces back to early German immigrants in the mid-to-late 19^th century. The process initially served to preserve the fall harvest through winter months, with the long cooking process — multiple days in its earliest iterations — killing off bacterial growth and greatly reducing water content. Sugar and cinnamon combine to aid preservation as well as provide sweetness and flavor. Though the necessity of harvest preservation is no longer a matter of life-or-death for most, the ritual remains a culturally significant foodway, bringing together communities across generations.

When Dr. Becky Adkins Fletcher, professor of Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University, reached out with an offer of collaboration on a short foodways documentary, I knew nothing of apple butter beyond its taste.

In addition to this short film, one can learn a lot about Appalachian apple butter traditions from the digital exhibit “Appalachian Foodways Series — Apple Butter” at the Archives of Appalachia, highlighted in a story for Appalachian Places at this time last year.

Thanks to the support of the Archives of Appalachia, and the warm and neighborly welcome from Hiltons Memorial United Methodist Church, I learned a great deal. In the end, I believe we produced a short documentary that shows this tradition is truly a labor of love.

View the short film, Applebutter: A Labor of Love, here:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/e6bc19_b34342a8287944ffb7dad6019fca77f2/1080p/mp4/file.mp4