Sulfuring (sulphuring) apples has been a method of preservation that has been in use since the time of the caveman and was popular in rural areas that had no electricity for pressure canning or a boiling water bath.

Sulfur is a light-yellow, nonmetallic chemical element, occurring in nature as a hard, crystalline solid. Sulfur is highly inflammable and burns with a blue flame and an odor that would stifle a skunk. Sulfur has no taste and is insoluble in water. I can remember driving with my parents to Florida in the forties and fifties and having to close the car windows to help control the stench as we drove through the sulfur-laden swamps of Georgia.

Sulfuring apples today is a labor of love, as it gives fruit a very distinctive taste that canned apples cannot duplicate. Sulfuring may be done with any type of apple but a softer variety such as red or yellow delicious or Jonathan seems to allow the sulfur vapors to penetrate more readily.

To start off, you will need a large (50-60 gallon), wooden barrel that has no cracks. If cracks are present, you may fill them with cotton. The barrel must also have a bottom but no top. Fill any bang hole with a wooden dowel. To help seal the barrel and ensure vapors remain inside, place overlapping sheets of newspaper on the inside walls of the barrel held in place with masking tape.

Apples should be quartered, peeled and have the core and seeds removed. Be certain to remove any bruises and bad spots. When all apples are ready to be processed, place them in a clean pillowcase and tie the open side securely with a string. Place a clean stick (broom handle) over the top, open part of the barrel and separating the apples inside the sealed pillowcase in half, hang the pillowcase on the stick so that the apples are in equal portions in the lower part of the barrel. When doing a lot of apples, two batches may be done in the barrel, as long as the vapors can freely penetrate and you leave room with no overlapping.

At the time you start to peel your apples, it will be necessary to start a fire in a safe area, so that there will be enough hot, glowing coals available to start the sulfur burning. In a shallow pie plate, place 2-3 cups of pure sulfur, spreading and not mounding. Place this pie plate in the bottom of the barrel on the wooden floor or on a nonflammable surface.

At this time you will need to have a heavy wool blanket at hand, as well as a length of rope that will fit around the top of the barrel. You could probably use bungee cords.

With the sulfur in place on the bottom and the apples hanging on the stick, now is the time to ignite the sulfur. From the burning fire, scoop up a quantity of red-hot coals and place them in the pie plate containing the sulfur. Do it quickly. Do not breathe the fumes. Instantly grab the wool blanket and wrap the top of the barrel. Tie it with the rope so that fumes do not escape. Needless to say, do not do this near your house, as the fumes are nasty and can be deadly. When the barrel is as air tight as possible, allow to sit for at least 3 hours-4 is better.

When opening the barrel, stand back. Allow any remaining vapors to dissipate. When airing is complete, open the pillowcase and air some more. Apples may now be stored in airtight jars for future use.

It’s a lot of bother but it’s the way we did it years ago.

While enjoying this old time recipe, I can announce that my new book, “In the Back to Basics Kitchen-Again”, is now available at several locations around town or call me for a copy.

Today’s column is brought to you by Sizemore’s Hardware, Pineville, Ky.