Without fail, every October I fall in love with autumn all over again. And that’s easy to do at Conner Prairie. Being surrounded by the beautiful changing leaves is enough to win over even the staunchest enemy of dropping temperatures. Being out on the grounds, I love the sound of crunching leaves, the smell of the fires coming from the houses in Prairietown, and watching kids help harvest corn from the field in Liberty Corner. I love wearing hooded sweatshirts, drinking warm cider, and watching football (the one thing here that Conner Prairie can’t provide). Since I’ve been working here, two more things have been added to my autumn rituals: James Whitcomb Riley and making my own apple butter. I’m not usually one for poetry, but the more I learned about agriculture and Indiana’s rural history, the more the Hoosier poets words made sense and resonated deep within. This past weekend, we saw our first overnight frost, which immediately brought to mind the opening stanza of a Riley classic:

WHEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,
And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,
And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,
And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;
O, it's then the time a feller is a-feelin' at his best,
With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,
As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock

So much of that poem makes sense known that I’ve lived through a planting-to-harvest season on the farm. Stop by and I can explain it to you, line by line.

As for apple butter, I came across this historic recipe from the Amish. Known for their apple butter, they would cook it in a large copper pot or cauldron over an open fire or hearth.

Ingredients (makes 25 gallons):

40 gallons apple cider
40 bushels apples
40 lbs. sugar
At 5:30am, heat cider to boiling.
Peel, core, and slice apples. At 2:30pm, add 1/3 of apples. Must be stirred constantly now.
At 3:30pm, add another 1/3 of the apples. Add sugar gradually.
At 4:30pm, add the remaining apples.
Continue stirring until about 8:00pm, until apple butter is thickened. Pour into clean jars and seal.

That's the hardcore way. If you want to make your own or don’t have 14 1/2 hours to stir 40 bushels of apples, try making some in a crockpot.

- Peel, core, and chop 3-4 lbs. of apples. Place in crockpot. Add spices.
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1/2 tsp. cloves
- Sugar is optional – you don’t have to add any, but it may be wise depending on what variety of apple you have chosen or what your taste buds love. Most recipes call for anywhere from 2 – 5 cups of sugar.

- Set the crockpot on high, stirring every hour or so, for 5 hours
- Turn heat down to low for 3 more hours.
- Once the butter is thickened, use a hand mixer to make is smooth and beautiful
- Eat it on biscuits or can it for later.

And if you don't want to make your own, head over to the Apple Store and get some before it closes November 1.