2025 Season starts Thursday, May 1st 2025 Openings & Rates
The tradition of homemade apple butter goes back to Capon’s early days in the 1940s. In the beginning, it was made outdoors under a lean-to near the Playhouse. Later, a one story block building, known as the Summer Kitchen, was built in the lower parking lot past the Main House. In 1985, Capon crews tore it down and replaced it with a 2-story structure that also hosts a canning kitchen. Since that time, there have been two brick fireplaces to hold two apple butter stations.
The entire process is very labor intensive as the apples are hand-picked, cored, peeled and then snitted. After being washed in Capon water, they are added to Capon water already in 40-gallon copper kettles. Wood fires are built underneath the kettles and co-workers take turns stirring the fragrant boiling apple mixture with wooden paddles. In true Tom Sawyer fashion, guests themselves are invited to take part by keeping the mix moving and not sticking to the bottom.
Guests enjoy spreading Pearle’s apple butter on our homemade rolls baked in our brick oven, spread over pancakes, placed on top of pork tenderloin, with peanut butter on a sandwich, or spread on our coffee cakes. Many folks also have a tradition of bringing a jar (or more!) home to enjoy or share with family, friends, neighbors and pet-sitters. 🙂
Have you helped stir a boiling kettle of apple-butter-in-the-making at Capon? What is your favorite way to enjoy Capon’s apple butter? We’d love to hear from you!
Stay in one of our 14 wonderful, unique cottages with a variety of accommodations within each one.
Find Your Room