5 Things I Almost Always Get At Amish Stores

After a recent period in which I visited about a dozen Amish stores in four states (Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia), I realized I tend to buy the same things over and over again. Maybe that means I need to step outside my box a bit.

Either way I thought it might be nice to share what’s on my “regular buys” list. So here are five items I tend to come home with after visiting Amish stores (variety stores, food stores, etc).

One of them is technically not a purchase, because you can usually get it as a freebie when available. If you watched the recent Amish store haul video, you’ll recognize some, but not all, of these things.

1. Maple syrup

I think this habit started thanks to a visit to the Walker Valley Market in Pearisburg, Virginia. They have the best selection of maple syrup I have seen.

A couple of years back I bought 4 or 5 of their small sample jars to try and compare. Now I usually pick up a bigger bottle or two. Also makes a nice gift, people like all-natural maple syrup.

I bought two bottles from Walker Valley this time, and also this bottle from a bulk foods store in Ohio:

2. Amish Directory

Amish directories are community listings of church members which also may include other interesting info, such as the history of a settlement and businesses.

I picked up several lately, including two from Kentucky, one from Virginia, and a “Western States” directory (covering Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho) when I was in Colorado.

Here’s an example of a community history. One of the shortest you’ll see. This was a very new settlement at the time it was written:

This guide even includes an Amtrak network map, something I hadn’t seen in a directory before. Probably pretty useful especially considering many Amish traveling to and from these settlements would be going by train. There’s also this general settlement location map:

3. Baked goods

These are the easiest buys of them all, especially if it’s something you can just open up and eat right there in the car (cookies, fry pies, etc.)

That said I don’t believe I came across too many baked goods on these recent store visits, oddly, or at least none that I decided to buy.

There was a bakery in one of the Colorado settlements, but wasn’t able to get there before closing. In lieu of that here’s a photo of some cashew brittle from Amish in either Tennessee or Mississippi, I can’t remember.

Technically I might be wrong but I think cashew brittle can count as a “baked good” (or close enough anyway 🙂 ):

4. Calendar

Actually, this is something you normally can pick up for free. Stores have them made with their business info on them and then give them away.

I got two nice ones from stores in Colorado showing wildlife scenes and the like. Unfortunately I don’t have them handy right now to photograph so in lieu of that I’ll show you a picture of an old one from King’s Kountry Store:

5. Jam or Other Canned Goods

Here’s some “Hoppin’ F.R.O.G.” jam also from the Pearisburg store. Traditional F.R.O.G. jam is made from Fig, Raspberry, Orange Juice, and Ginger, hence the funny name. With the hoppin’ version you add jalapeno for extra pop I guess. Kinda makes sense. Cute name anyway.

Jam, apple butter, pickled vegetables, chow-chow, church-style peanut butter are all nice canned goods choices to pick up when you’re at an Amish store.

In addition to these typical buys, I did buy a few atypical-for-me items on these trips as well. Here are two of them:

“Welcome” magnet

I got this at an Amish furniture store in Colorado, for six bucks. Looks nice on my fridge.

Super Tonic

A home remedy concoction which includes fresh ginger root, garlic clove, onion bulb, horseradish root, and cayenne fruit. I’ve had a homemade version of super tonic before when I’ve gotten ill at an Amish friends’ home.

I hadn’t seen it packaged and sold before though. This version has a similar kick to what I remember. I automatically feel healthier after a dropper or two.

I’ll add this account from 2013, of the first time I used Super Tonic, while staying with Amish friends in PA:

I was hit like a mule kick by some sort of bug mid-morning Sunday.  The kind that brings chills and fever and sudden fatigue.  After letting me sleep for a couple of hours, my Amish hosts took to administering care to their “English Patient”.

The first treatment given was something called “super tonic”.  I was told of five ingredients–onion, garlic, hot pepper, horseradish, and a fifth which has slipped my mind.  I flinched and asked for tea, but they brought me a diluted version of the tonic anyway.  Even that less than 50-50 water mixture has enough pop to make you cough.  I got it all down though while sitting in the recliner next to the wood stove.

The second remedy was a tea I’ll call “Muddy Mountain Dew”.  The name has nothing to do with its rather neutral flavor, but with its color, a flourescent green a couple notches darker than the soda. Of the ingredients listed I remember only echinacea and stinging nettles.  I put down two big mugs of this over the course of the day.

The problem with being this kind of sick in an Amish home, by the way, is the food, or rather the not-eating-of-it.  On falling ill my appetite instantly evaporated, and over the next 24 hours I was able to put down but one slice of buttered toast and half a bowl of tomato soup.  Wasted food opportunity!

The good news is that the next day I was back to full health.  Cured by super tonic, Mountain Dew tea, or a bug simply running its course?  Maybe a bit of all three.

Amish Stores: Fun – And Won’t Break the Bank

None of these purchases are break-the-bank expenditures of course (I think the most expensive thing was the Super Tonic at $14). That’s what makes these visits to Amish stores a lot of fun.

You can find some higher-dollar items in some stores, and of course if it’s a furniture store, you can easily spend thousands if so inclined. But for the most part you can have an enjoyable visit and come away with some fun and tasty items for not too much $$.

Update: Reader’s Favorites

Some of our readers added their favorite buys at Amish stores.

First, Marcia Clark on kitchen goods:

My favorite things to buy and/or look at in Amish stores are canning products and kitchen utensils. I love looking at everything but canning and kitchen are my absolute favorites.

Next, Mary Farley has several favorites:

I like the bake goods especially the cinnamon rolls. Also the syrup and the peanut butter and the bulk candy. I collect Amish dolls so always looking for the Amish made ones.

Here’s Terry from Wisconsin on his Amish store experiences:

At Mishler’s Bulk Food Store in Dalton, WI, the list of items is long: 50″ lbs of flour, white and brown sugar, spices of some sort, clear gel, therm flo, powdered milk, choc chips, vanilla, pudding, soup base, noodles, pasta, snacks, yeast for bread baking, beet pickles, maybe a new cookbook, oatmeal, canning jars, Unkers salve, chore gloves, hankies, and who knows what else.

It’s most always a cart full! We don’t go that often, so I have to stock up.

When we go “Amishing”, there are our favorite haunts that we patronize beside the bulk food store. Such as: bakery, maybe a furniture store, the lady who weaves rugs, (I brought her several bags of carpet strips to use.

She wanted to pay me but I said no, just weave me a rug. She rattled of some sizes that I look for!). Oh, and bring egg cartons to drop off. There is a cheese store. If I write to Amish friends and tell then we’ll be stopping in, she’ll have goodies to go with coffee.

Here’s David Stear, on a long-ago experience buying Amish butter:

The video took me back to growing up and spending the first 37 years of my life in Pennsylvania. Driving around the countryside in Crawford County, PA once, I saw a sign that said “butter and eggs for sale”.

I stopped and knocked on the back door of the house and a youngish woman in bare feet but with prayer cap and ankle length dress on with little kids around her answered the door.

I asked if she had any butter for sale and she said “yes, I can sell you some butter”. As I recall, it was a pound slab wrapped in waxed paper and wasn’t bad at all. I don’t recall what the price was.

And here’s another reader, on one of his favorites:

An item I buy at Amish bulk food stores is 7 Grain Hot Cereal mix. I can’t find it at any stores except Amish stores.

I’ve bought it at E & S in Shipshewana, Ind., Country Salvage at Arcola, Illinois, JayTees at Rockville, Ind., Detweilers at Cub Run, Ky., etc.

I’ve been going to some of these stores for more than 25 years and it’s amazing how they have grown. It seems like these big stores have more non-Amish customers than Amish, although lots of Amish shop at them also.

He adds the following, on finding the harder-to-find Amish stores:

Also, in some of the smaller/mid-size Amish communities I’ve visited, I’ve found bulk food stores that are unmarked — no store sign by the road, no sign on the small store building, etc. I’ve found them just by word-of-mouth. Each of these type of stores has welcomed me to shop there even though they are unmarked and seemed focused on serving their community.

With grocery prices going up, I’m wondering if business at Amish bulk food stores and bent-and-dent stores might increase, since prices on many items seem cheaper there than even in “big box” grocery stores.

Some great additions by readers. Feel free to let us know about your favorites in the comments.

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