By Joshua Elie
Editor’s note: Due to an editing error, a suggestion made at the end of this recipe in the October issue of Freshwater Reporter was omitted, and September’s recipe instructions were included instead. Whoops! We think our Northwoods Sauce Boss’s suggestion for leftover caramel apple ingredients is brilliant, so be sure to read through the corrected recipe. Thanks to an eagle-eyed reader for pointing out the error. Also, the author intended to say that Irons is 100 square miles, and that change has been made, too.
I have such great memories of Halloween. Carving Jack-O’-Lanterns, baking pumpkin seeds, and candy, candy, candy! We had no fear of food allergies or homemade treats in those days, so the holiday seemed far less scary and commercialized. For our younger readers, imagine this: We even had candy cigarettes, two different kinds, and Big League Chew, a gum that came in a pouch like chewing tobacco does. They really weren’t very good, but they looked cool to us back then.
For trick-or-treating we had to get creative, and this was the best part of Halloween. People living in the 100 square miles that make up Irons were, and still are, so spread out that door-to-door visits didn’t work that well. I do remember trick-or-treating on snowmobiles one year, and that was a blast. What IATA (Irons Area Tourist Association) would do is put on a big Halloween party with cookies, caramel apples, piñatas, lots of games and, best of all, haunted hayrides. The firefighters and other volunteers would get all dressed up and put on a great show, jumping out of the woods at us amongst spooky displays.
One Halloween when my friend Paul Powers was here (we were inseparable in those days), he dressed as Darth Vader and I dressed as He-Man. I was interrupting a sword fight of epic proportions when I noticed something in the woodshed. An all-black cat had moved in, and she was so friendly that we named her Frisky. Even though we were somewhat saddened to leave our new-found feline friend behind, it was time for the party.
Halloween was one of the few times throughout the year that we got to see and meet kids that lived in the same area because we all went to different schools, churches, scout meetings, and other places hosting youth activities. There were spots in Baldwin, Wellston/Brethren, Free Soil and other Mason County towns, but nowhere to meet in Irons after the roller rink closed and the Fun Spot (bowling alley) burned down.
Piñata time rolls around, and nothing says “fun” to a small-town kid like beating something with a stick and not getting in trouble for it. The last piñata was built a little too well because the bottom half came down in all one piece. The whistle blew, and as the rest of us were scrabbling for the little bits that spilled closest to us, Pauly ran right for the center, picked up the bottom half with almost all the candy still in it, and ran out the door. That stinker wouldn’t share with anybody, either! Not unless they did whatever task his warped little mind came up with, and I have yet to meet anyone more creative. It did come back to bite him, though. The bellyache he got from eating all that candy haunted him all night long.
Key West does Halloween (or at least that time of year) a little differently. It’s a 10-day adult celebration filled with “costuming, parades, libations, and excitement.” I can honestly say it was the wildest party I have attended. I was in Marathon Key for hurricane Wilma and as soon as the flooding subsided, we set sail for Key West. There were so many sunken sailboats along the way it was very difficult to navigate, especially as we got closer to the harbor. My dad used to swim with dolphins all the time, and one showed up and swam right in front of the boat, showing us the way.
It was still daylight, so everything at this point had been a family-friendly, touristy kind of environment. First stop: the Hog’s Breath Saloon for some great acoustic jazz. As the sun began to set, we made our way to Irish Kevin’s Bar. Things were really starting to liven up. After that was the Green Parrot. At this point, it really didn’t matter where we went; everywhere was this outrageous party. Everything was friendly and safe yet looked like pure chaos.
Going to Fantasy Fest once was enough for me, and once would probably be too much for most, but I can enjoy caramel apples every year!
Elie’s Caramel Apples
Dunk 7-8 apples, one at a time, for a few seconds in boiling water then wipe off all wax. Insert a chopstick for a handle through the top (stem side) of each apple and place in freezer.
- In a 2.5 to 3-quart pot, combine ¼ cup butter, 1¾ cups heavy cream, 1 cup light corn syrup, 2 cups brown sugar and ½ teaspoon salt. Set heat to medium and stir with big wooden spoon until butter is melted then STOP STIRRING. Any further stirring will separate the butter.
- Wipe the inside of your pot above the caramel with a wet pastry brush and attach candy thermometer. DO NOT change heat setting while heating to 235-240 degrees (usually takes 15-20 minutes).
- While the mixture is heating, coat a 12” x 17” baking tin with butter and place 3 cups crushed peanuts (optional) in a bowl for rolling.
- When caramel reaches 235-240 degrees, remove from heat. The hotter it gets, the harder it will set. While caramel begins to thicken (about 10 minutes) remove apples from freezer.
- Quickly dip each apple in caramel, letting the excess drip back into the pot, then quickly roll in peanuts. Set (stick up) on baking tin. Allow caramel apples to cool then serve.
Waste not, want not! Reheat the leftover caramel and pour it over the leftover peanuts. Using a spoon, roll the peanuts from the outside over into the caramel and flatten into a bar. Let cool and cut into little candies. Happy Halloween!!
Read more stories by Joshua Elie HERE
