Apples and Isleys
Published
on Wednesday, October 2, 2024
in
Community
Isley family members Judy Bowen (L), Norris Isley (C), and Loren Isley (R)
Our history as an electric cooperative dates back to the 1930s, when country residents came together to bring electricity where large providers wouldn’t. But as we recently found out, some of our electric customers have a tradition that goes back even further.
Every few years, several generations of the Isley family come together to make apple butter—and they’ve been doing it with the same copper kettle for more than 100 years.
Michigan Roots
After Thomas Isley immigrated to the U.S. from England in the 1840s, the Isley family eventually settled in southeast Michigan, where they remain to this day.
The family’s first year making apple butter out of the copper kettle was 1917. At the time, it was borrowed from their neighbors, but when the neighbors sold it a couple of years later, the Isleys quickly purchased it. The kettle has been with the family ever since.
The Isleys' copper kettle
The Process
It starts with about 40 gallons of cider. The first day the family gets together, they use the kettle to boil the cider down until around 15 gallons are left. While this is happening, they also pick five or six bushels of Grimes Golden apples from trees on the family’s property. The apples are peeled, cored, and sliced to prepare them for cooking.
The next day, the cider gets brought back to a boil, a stirring mechanism (itself nearly 100 years old) is placed in the kettle, and the prepared apples are added in. The mixture gets stirred continuously so the apples don’t burn to the bottom of the kettle.
Jars of Isley apple butter and a family history book
Around dinnertime, all the apples have had time to cook down to apple butter consistency. The Isleys stir in cinnamon and sugar, and then the completed apple butter is ready to can. They set up three tables and form an assembly line, dipping pots into the kettle, filling pint-sized jars from the pots, and putting the lids on to seal. When it’s time to go home, the jars (usually about 160 in total!) are divided up so everybody gets the same number.
No Signs of Stopping
Loren and Norris, two Isley cousins, were born into the apple butter tradition. Now, they’re at the point where it’s time to let the next generation take over. And although the Isleys have been making apple butter for over 100 years, there’s no question that they could keep making it for 100 more.
Whether it’s providing excellent electrical service to rural residents or bringing your family together to make a delicious treat, one thing is clear: Some traditions are timeless.