Lindsey Pritchett - Apple Cider

Today I got a cup of Caramel Apple Cider from Einstein's, just because it's fall and Apple Cider is my favorite drink. While Einstein's Apple Cider is delicious, I could not help but remember our discussion in class about homemade foods versus already made. Fresh Apple Cider is, hands down, the absolute best. Plus, I've never actually made my own Apple Cider before, it's only been presented to me by others who have made it fresh. My Grandfather, before he died, used to go to the Apple Orchards near Charlottesville every fall. He would buy a barrel of apples and, with my Grandmother, make Apple Butter, Cider and, sometimes, even Apple Pie. They would share the Apple Butter with everyone in the family. But, like the stories in many oral traditions, they would never share the recipes. The features of the recipe that made the Apple Butter special were kept secret. It was a right of passage in our family to be taught how to make the Apple Butter and then receive the secret recipe.