As a people who live close to animals and nature, the Amish still do something that most Americans left behind long ago – that is, butchering and processing their own meat. This might make some us think “yuck”. But it’s the way of things when you’re on Amish farms. Amish have days dedicated to the task – usually in the autumn or winter when the…
When I stay at John and Rachel’s* home in Lancaster County, one of my morning tasks is to go on a milk run. This doesn’t mean running down to the store but rather to the closest source possible. And in this part of the world, that means another Amish farm. Here’s the jar I used one morning: Not “Strawberry Jelly” but organic cow milk in…
We’re officially into winter. And this is the time of year that families are cracking into those canned items they worked hard to prepare when the weather was warmer and fresh fruit and veggies were plentiful. On my recent Amish trip I had the good fortune to bring back a Christmas basket of canned goods as a present for the family. I thought I’d share…
Lovina Eicher is an Amish mother of eight and author of the Lovina’s Amish Kitchen column (and formerly the Amish Cook column). She answers your questions in today’s post. Lovina is the author of The Essential Amish Cookbook and the Lovina’s Amish Kitchen column. To enter to win a copy of The Essential Amish Cookbook, just leave a comment on this post. I’ll draw a…
Would you like to eat a home-cooked meal in an Amish home? If you don’t yet have Amish friends who’ll feed you, you can always track down a home business providing meals for the public. Last year we heard about two such places, in Lancaster County and NE Indiana. Today, a look at another, in upstate New York. Beverly Kehe-Rowland writes about her friend Cindy…
For being the fourth-largest Amish settlement, the community in Geauga County, Ohio, often seems to go overlooked. That is probably because of its nearness to Holmes County, a popular tourist destination. But this is a large settlement approaching 20,000 Amish in size, so it gets some tourist visitors, and therefore has some attractions, like food. Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen, located in Middlefield in the center…
Atlas Obscura gives us a brief background of this dish, served by Amish in Pennsylvania at funerals: Death and raisins share one essential feature: neither belongs to any one season. Eighteenth-century Amish and old-order Mennonites of Pennsylvania were no strangers to the harsh realities of sudden loss, but amidst tragedy, raisins were there. The preserved grapes were a pantry staple—shelf-stable and ready-to-eat throughout the year….
Yoder’s is a well-known Amish-style restaurant in the Pinecraft Amish community of Sarasota, Florida. I had a chance to sample several of their fine pies in a visit several years back (peanut butter chocolate, coconut, and the key lime). You can see that and many other photos of the Pinecraft community here. Yoder’s pies are yummy – guests from far away spots like Atlanta and Michigan…
We recently heard about an Amish family serving home dinners in northeastern Indiana. But what about Lancaster County, the most popular Amish tourism destination? The Lititz Record Express looks at one such dining business, to be run on the farm of Samuel and Ruth Lapp: The farm home has a walk-in basement with a large kitchen, dining area, and handicap accessible restroom facilities. With the help of daughters Elizabeth,…
I often get questions from readers wanting to have a “deeper experience” when they visit the Amish – something more than a buggy ride or buying canned goods at a roadside stand. For instance, there are a few Amish lodging places though they are not common. There are also families who will host you in their homes for a meal. Often you need to set this up in advance, come…