While we enjoy the taste of fresh apples during the fall season, it is also a time to reflect on how this delicious fruit was an essential part of life for the early residents of the Smokies! Apples were by far the most important fruit in the Smoky Mountains as they could not only be eaten raw but could be used to make vinegar, applesauce, apple butter, and pies. Fortunately, the cooler climate in the area provided excellent apple-growing conditions! Here are the top 3 reasons why apple orchards in Tennessee were important to early Smoky Mountain settlers:
1. Easily Preserved for Later Use
One of the most important reasons why apple orchards in Tennessee were so essential to early settlers was because apples could easily be preserved for later use, such as during the winter months when food was typically more scarce. Drying was the most widely used method for preservation since no special equipment was required, and the apples were simply cut into thin slices and placed outside in the sun. In times of inclement weather, they could be dried indoors by placing them near a stove or in front of the fireplace. Another way to preserve apples was bleaching, where slices of the fruit were exposed to sulfur smoke to kill bacteria.
2. Variety of Food Products
Just like in today’s modern world, apples in the early days could be used to create a variety of tasty food products! Apple butter and applesauce were great ways to enjoy the flavor of apples throughout the year. These were usually made in large quantities in copper, brass, or iron kettles by slowly cooking peeled slices of apples until the finished product was thick and smooth. Cider was sometimes used as the cooking liquid instead of water since it added flavor to the apple butter or sauce. Some families also added sugar and cinnamon near the end of the cooking process for extra flavor and sweetness. Before the widespread use of home canning, apple butter was often kept in large crocks stored in a cool dry place.
3. Cider and Vinegar
Another one of the top reasons why apple orchards in Tennessee were important to early Smoky Mountain settlers was because they were used to make cider and vinegar. While apple cider was consumed in the Smokies, it was never as popular as in the northeast part of the United States. Although some of it was drunk as sweet cider, it could also become a slightly alcoholic drink within a few days. Typically referred to as hard cider, it was produced as the sugars in the sweet cider began to ferment. Hard cider was necessary to make vinegar, which is produced when certain bacteria, which live and grow in an alcoholic liquid, change the alcohol to acetic acid. It usually took about five to six weeks for hard cider to become vinegar.
It is easy to see why the apple orchards in Tennessee were important to early Smoky Mountain settlers and how preserving the fruit helped provide nourishment during the winter months. If you’re curious how life in the Smokies was spent in the colder times of the year, check out these ways early settlers spent winter in the Smoky Mountains.
