Sandy’s Recipes

My Foxfire buddy Sam shared some of his old time recipes with me. Now I will share them with you just as he told them to me. Please remember, Sam was a man of few words.

APPLE JUICE

• 8 quarts water
• 6 cups sugar
• Heat the syrup
• Big bowl of apples, sliced
• Boil apples in syrup 5 minutes
• Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes
• Adjust lids to seal

GRAPE JUICE

• In a quart jar add
• 1 cup wild grapes
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Add water to shoulder of jar
• Process in boiling water bath 15 minutes
• Adjust lids to seal

APPLE JELLY

• Cut apples in 6 parts, cutting off blossom end
• Put apples in large pot covering apples with 2 inches of water
• Cook till soft
• Strain off juice
• Strain juice again and let set
• Siphon juice into small pots
• Use 1 cup sugar to 2 cups juice for syrup.
• Cook till sheets off spoon
• Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes

GROUND CHERRY JAM

• 1-1/4 quarts ground cherries
• Crush and blend with
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1 cup sugar
• Cook till thick consistency
• Process in boiling water bath 5 minutes
• Makes 2 pints
• The taste is a cross between a strawberry and tomato

APPLE BUTTER

• Wash apples and cut into 8 parts
• Cook on open fire in kettle, stirring at ALL times (about 5 hours)
• Cook till soft and put through food mill
• Check consistency on spoon
• Add 25# sugar to 18 gallons apple pulp
• Keep stirring till ready (when thick)
• Add 1 bottle oil of cinnamon
• Put in pint jars and seal

GRANNY’S GREASE SALVE

• Camphor gum
• Turpentine
• Lard
• Kerosene (optional)
• Shave camphor gum in pieces, place in glass jar
• Pour enough turpentine over it, as to dissolve the camphor
• Shake jar 4 times a day for 4 days
• Add as much lard as turpentine used
• Could also add as much kerosene

CHIGGER REPELLENT

A small amount of kerosene rubbed on cuffs of pant legs, waist band, and wrists of shirt should do the trick

TOMATO WINE

When Sam told me his tomato wine recipe I was leery because I thought it would taste something like tomato juice. Wrong! It was a golden yellow tangy wine that will make your legs turn to jello upon rising from a chair (ask me how I know).

It is one of the most unique wines I have tried. Hope you enjoy it too.

• 1 quart tomatoes, squeezed
• 3-1/2 pounds sugar
• 1 gallon water
• 1 tablespoon baking yeast
• Place all ingredients in clean, glass gallon jar and cover with cheese cloth
• Stir 9 or 10 days (but not if the mixture is cloudy that day)
• Leave it undisturbed for 3 weeks
• Strain the first time thru a heavy towel, then siphon it with a small hose. You may flavor it with pineapple

I have made all these recipes myself using Sam’s simple instructions and they’ve all turned out good and useful too.