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About the Author - Kim Newsom

Kim Newsom is the managing editor of Tennessee Home & Farm and a native Tennessean. While she calls the tiny West Tennessee community of Chestnut Bluff (in Crockett County) home, she currently resides in Franklin and often travels to East Tennessee on assignment or for pleasure. Join Kim as she travels the state in search of the best Tennessee attractions, most unique restaurants and hole-in-the-wall destinations. Kim can be reached at .

Once September arrives, I always think of apple season, which is now upon us. And to me, even better than apples is apple butter. YUM! I recently read a story, written by Carol Cowan, about the White Bluff Apple Butter Festival. Check it out below, then visit www.imagesdickson.com for more great attractions in Dickson County.

Mmmm. It’s hard to beat a slather of sweet, brown, spicy apple butter on a still-steaming biscuit. But you’ve probably never seen a batch of apple butter this big.

At the annual Apple Butter Festival in White Bluff, members of the Crossroads Church of God cook up enough to fill not just one, but two 40-gallon copper kettles. Now that’s a lot of apple butter.

“Last year we used 80 bushels of apples,” says Basil Westcott, who serves as festival coordinator.

He notes that over the years, the church group has perfected its apple butter cooking method.

“We start the peeling two days before [the festival]. That’s with about 12 people doing the peeling,” Westcott explains.

“On the day of the festival, we start cooking at 5 a.m. You use a big paddle on the end of an 8-foot to 10-foot handle to stir it. It has to be that long because you have to be able to stand back while you do it.

“About 3 p.m., we get in an assembly line and start canning,” he continues. “We always sell everything we make. We really can’t make enough of it – it goes like hot cakes!”

Hundreds of community folks come out for the fun – and hopefully a jar of apple butter while it lasts. Attendees can watch demonstrations of butter-churning, woodworking, quilting, black­smithing, spinning and shingle-splitting, and they can check out antique cars and tractors.

There are hayrides, horseshoes and plenty of toe-tapping bluegrass music for everyone.

“Of course, we have all kinds of food,” Westcott adds, “and fried apple pies.”

The 2008 Apple Butter Festival takes place Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Crossroads Church of God.

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Magazine:
Tennessee Home & Farm, Summer 2010 Edition Edition

Headline:
80 Bushels of Apples

Summary:
The 2008 Apple Butter Festival takes place Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Crossroads Church of God.

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