Apple Butter, Cured Ham, and the Taste of Thanks
Earlier this week, I dove into one of those projects that seems like a brilliant idea at the start, feels like a TERRIBLE idea halfway through, and yet turns out great in the end: I made apple butter. From scratch.
It was an effort to convert the small mountain of apples from our weekly food box into one of my favorite comfort foods. As I peeled my 30th apple with what felt like 500 more to go, I couldn’t help but ask, “WHY ON EARTH did I think this was a good idea!?”
I had plenty of time to think while I peeled, cored, and sliced, which led to a few "aha" moments.
The Apple Butter Connection
First, apple butter reminds me of my maternal grandmother. I am the youngest child of the youngest child on my mother's side, and my grandmother passed away when I was a kid. I remember her clearly, but I don’t have as many memories as my older siblings. However, I distinctly remember apple butter being at her house. Whether she made it or bought it at a church bake sale doesn’t matter; she had it on her table, and it instilled a love for apple butter in Little Lorel that is still alive today.
Preparing for Homecomings
Next, my older kids are coming home this week, and it’s always nice to have something special in the fridge—something you can’t just buy. Not that the entire Thanksgiving feast isn’t enough, but I hadn't thought that far ahead when I embarked on the Great Apple Butter Adventure. My final realization? I seriously need to scale back the weekly food box because we had apples coming out of our ears!
I don't have a lot of free time, but I do like to keep traditions alive when I can. None of my immediate family knew my grandmother, but I can tell them about her one morning when the apple butter comes out.
The Costco Ham Tradition
Another tradition I can easily picture my kids keeping alive one day came to our house from our neighborhood Costco: the whole leg of Iberian ham. Few things make my husband happier than that enormous hunk of meat on a stand in our kitchen. It makes its debut at Thanksgiving, is enjoyed throughout December, and (hopefully) has its final swan song at Christmas.
Why do I think this could be a tradition in the making?
It's an event. The arrival and opening of the ham (prosciutto in our house) is celebrated.
It's a process. My husband gladly gives detailed cutting instructions (after rewatching a few YouTube videos, as we all get a little rusty).
It's unique. I have yet to walk into someone else’s kitchen and find a salt-cured pig leg on a stand anywhere—it feels unique to our family. (Not to mention, it’s a great conversation starter!)
The Taste of Thanks
What does all this rambling about apple butter and cured ham have to do with the big event this week, Thanksgiving? Everything.
Tradition, whether inherited or manufactured, is what knits our lives together. It provides anchors in a world that often feels chaotic, connects us to the people we love, and creates those memories we’ll look back on and smile.
This week, as we gather with family and friends, I'm grateful for the taste of my grandmother’s kitchen on a piece of toast and the somewhat ridiculous sight of a whole ham leg on the counter—and I’m looking forward to making a few new memories to add to the collection.