Amish church hymn singing

Hymns at a religious service are sung in German, with no organ or musical accompaniment, and in unison with no harmonizing. It may take as long as 15 minutes to do three stanzas, and for this reason entire hymns are not always sung. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of Amish singing is the fact that the hymnal contains no musical notation. Melodies have simply been remembered and passed down from generation to generation, most having originated in sacred or secular folk songs and Gregorian chants of the times. Because certain men in the congregation have natural musical talent, they come to learn the melodies over the years and may emerge as song leaders or "vorsingers."

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

Anabaptism is a Christian movement which traces its origins to the Radical Reformation. Anabaptists are Christians who believe in delaying baptism until the candidate confesses his or her faith. Although some consider this movement to be an offshoot of Protestantism, others see it as a distinct one.The Amish, Hutterites, and Mennonites are direct descendants of the movement. Schwarzenau Brethren, Bruderhof, and the Apostolic Christian Church are considered later developments among the Anabaptists.

The name Anabaptist, meaning "one who baptizes again," was given them by their persecutors in reference to the practice of re-baptizing converts who already had been baptized as infants. Anabaptists required that baptismal candidates be able to make their own confessions of faith and so rejected baptism of infants. The early members of this movement did not accept the name Anabaptist, claiming that since infant baptism was unscriptural and null and void, the baptizing of believers was not a re-baptism but in fact their first real baptism.
As a result of their views on the nature of baptism and other issues, Anabaptists were heavily persecuted during the 16th century and into the 17th by both Magisterial Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.



6 c grated zucchini 

Why are Amish schools different?

School for Old Order Amish and Mennonites is only a part of the learning necessary for preparation for the adult world. Children have formal schooling in one-room schools to 8th grade and then have a structured learning program supervised by their parents. Classes in the one-room Amish schools are conducted in English, and the children learn English when they go to school. The teachers are Amish and they have no more than an eighth grade education themselves. When the landmark United States Supreme Court decision of 1972 gave exemption for Amish and related groups from state compulsory attendance laws beyond the eighth grade, Chief Justice Burger wrote: “It is neither fair nor correct to suggest that the Amish are opposed to education beyond the eighth grade level. What this record shows is that they are opposed to conventional formal education of the type provided by a certified high school because it comes at the child's crucial adolescent period of religious development.”
Mennonites, on the other hand, have dozens of parochial elementary schools, more than 20 high schools, eleven colleges, and three seminaries sponsored by Mennonite groups in North America. Mennonite families choose whether to send their children to public or church-sponsored schools. Higher education became a vocational necessity as Mennonites left the farm. Missions and service opportunities also gave rise to the need for higher education.

Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.

5 cup ground green tomatoes
4 cup sugar
6 oz raspberry jello
Place ground tomatoes and sugar in large kettle. Bring to a rolling boil and boil 10 minutes, stir constantly. Turn off heat and add jello. Stir well until dissolved and put into hot sterilized jars and seal. Cold pack 10 minutes.

What is Rumspringa?

The Amish youth period Rumspringa, or “running around,” is marked by an increase in social activity

Rumspringa, or “running around”, is the term used to describe the period of adolescence Amish experience starting at around age 16. Rumspringa has been described in books and films, to varying degrees of accuracy.

There are numerous misconceptions about Rumspringa, which is a formative time for Amish youth.
Common myths about Rumspringa:
Amish youth leave home to live in the city-most Amish live at home while adolescents
Amish parents encourage their youth to “break the rules”-Amish parents, like any other, want their children to behave morally
Rumspringa is “time out” from being Amish-most Amish youth live at home and attend church during Rumspringa, and are subject to community influences, though may bend and break guidelines of the Ordnung as they are not yet church members
Rumspringa is typically a time of experimentation with sex and drugs-some portrayals of Rumspringa have depicted the time as one of wild partying, though this is the exception rather than the norm


Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.


1 qt apple juice

1 box Sure Jell

4 ½ c sugar

2 T red hots candy

Mix together & cook on medium boil for 3 minutes. Place in hot sterile jars & seal.

Read more: http://community.tasteofhome.com/community_forums/f/30/t/189370.aspx#ixzz3R3hBIREy

In the Amish districts that sanction bed courtship, the boy asks the girl if he can take her home. If she consents, they drive to her home. They immediately go upstairs and get into her bed fully clothed, where they are expected to talk all night without touching.

Bed courtship is practiced only by the ultra-conservative churches. The parents rely on the church teachings to prevent hanky-panky.

This custom is also known as bundling which the dictionary defines as sleeping in the same bed with somebody while both are fully dressed.

Bundling has biblical roots. It is not an Amish invention. The custom was practiced in Europe for centuries before immigrants introduced it to the American colonies.

In the past, the practical reason for bed courting was comfort. When homes were heated by fireplaces and had hard wooden furniture, the bed was the warmest, most comfortable place to socialize. As fireplaces and hard wooden chairs were replaced by central heating and comfortable sitting rooms, bundling faded (almost entirely) from the scene.

Note: Most of today's Amish communities do not practice bed courtship. Amish customs vary greatly from one community to another since each community has its own bishop who, with the church leaders, set the rules of their own community.


Today's recipe... Remember... Disclaimer: The Amish don't always follow updated USDA canning methods, they follow methods passed down from generation to generation. Use this recipe at your own discretion, or adapt it to your own method. I am sharing these recipes EXACTLY as they were sent to me and take no responsibility for them.


6 c beet juice

2 pkg Sure Jell

6 oz raspberry jello

1 ½ c lemon juice

8 c sugar

Place beet juice, Sure Jell, and lemon juice in large kettle and bring to a boil. Add sugar and jello all at one time. Boil 10 minutes and pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.

The Amish use the same yearly calendar that you use. We might add that November is the month for weddings – spring, summer, and fall months there is too much work to be done and in the winter there’s the risk of unfavorable weather. Also, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days for weddings – these are the least busy days of the week.

I have basil growing in my herb bed... and I received an abundance of banana peppers, so when I happened across this recipe for Basil Banana Pepper Jelly I had to try it... it's so pretty in the jars... and tasty!

Almost any variety of pepper will work in this jelly, but using both hot and mild peppers and a combination of colors creates the best flavor and appearance. Look for color... but don't be afraid to use peppers with lots of flavor and heat. Sugar and vinegar tame the heat, which is less noticeable when the jelly is used as a marinade or glaze.

Here's what I did...


After preparing my jars and lids... (I heated my jars in a flat pan of boiling water set across two stove eyes, and simmered my lids in hot water, keeping everything hot until I was ready for them)... I thinly sliced a half cup of seeded mild banana peppers

1/4 cup thinly sliced seeded green chili peppers (red chilis would be tasty too, I liked the green/yellow color combination)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion

3 or 4 large fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons

1/4 tsp. dried basil

In a large, deep, stainless steel saucepan, I combined the banana peppers, chili peppers, onion, fresh and dried basil with 3/4 cup white vinegar


I stirred in 3 cups granulated sugar...


Over high heat, stirring constantly, I brought the mixture to a full rolling boil (that cannot be stirred down).


I stirred in 3 ounces of liquid pectin (I used pectin I had made from apple peelings a few weeks previously, liquid pectin can be found in the grocery store in the canning section)

I boiled the mixture hard, stirring constantly, for one minute. I removed from the heat and quickly skimmed off the foam.


I quickly began filling my hot half pint canning jars with the jelly, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.


I wiped the jar rims, tightened the lids on to fingertip tightness, and place the jars into the canner, ensuring they were completely covered with water. I brought it to a boil and processed in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes. After processing, I removed the jars using my jar lifter and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.


*This jelly is a particle suspension jelly... to enhance the suspension of these solids, it may be necessary to gently manipulate the jar after processing. This procedure can be used only with jellies prepared in 4 or 8 ounce jars that have been processed for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. To enhance particle suspension, cool the processed jars upright for 15-30 minutes or just until the lids pop down but the jelly is not fully set. As soon as the lids are concave, carefully and gently twist and/or tilt - do not shake and do not invert - individual jars to distribute solids throughout the jelly. The sealed jar must not be inverted as this might prevent the formation of a vacuum seal. Repeat as needed during the cooling and setting time until solids are nicely suspended in the jelly. 




For a printable copy of this recipe... click here.

When I saw the recipe for this fiery golden, translucent jelly with colorful suspended fruit and vegetables... I had to make it... it was so pretty! It goes great with cheese, on a cracker with cream cheese, or melted onto grilled or sauteed dishes to add sparkling flavor highlights.

Here's what I did...


I started out finely slicing 1/3 cup dried apricots

I poured 3/4 cup white vinegar over the apricots...


...Covered it and let it stand at room temperature for at least four hours, or overnight...

Next morning...


I poured the vinegar/apricot mixture into a deep stainless steel saucepan and added

1/4 cup finely chopped onion


1/4 cup finely chopped seeded red bell pepper



1/4 cup finely chopped seeded habanero pepper (wear rubber gloves, habaneros are HOT!!! According to the Scoville scale of heat units that measure the hotness of peppers, jalapenos have a Scoville number of around 5,000... to me jalapenos are plenty hot... habaneros are at 100,000-350,000 on the Scoville scale... HOT!!!!)


3 cups granulated sugar


Over high heat, stirring constantly, I brought the mixture to a full rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down). I stirred in...


1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid pectin (I used 3 ounces of my homemade pectin I had made previously from apple peelings)

I boiled the mixture hard, stirring constantly, for one minute. I removed it from the heat and quickly skimmed off any foam.


I poured the hot jelly into hot, sterilized half pint canning jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. I wiped the rim, and tightened the hot lids on to fingertip tightness.


I placed the jars in the canner, ensuring they were completely covered with water. I brought it to a boil and processed for 10 minutes. After processing, I removed the jars, placing them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool, and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.

*This jelly is a particle suspension jelly... to enhance the suspension of these solids, it may be necessary to gently manipulate the jar after processing. This procedure can be used only with jellies prepared in 4 or 8 ounce jars that have been processed for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. To enhance particle suspension, cool the processed jars upright for 15-30 minutes or just until the lids pop down but the jelly is not fully set. As soon as the lids are concave, carefully and gently twist and/or tilt - do not shake and do not invert - individual jars to distribute solids throughout the jelly. The sealed jar must not be inverted as this might prevent the formation of a vacuum seal. Repeat as needed during the cooling and setting time until solids are nicely suspended in the jelly. 


For a printable copy of this recipe, click here... Printable Recipe

The variety of hot peppers I had to work with... habaneros, hot bananas, red and green chiles, poblanos, Anaheims, cayenne, and of course jalapenos!

A lady from a local farm contacted me via Facebook (Yay for Facebook!) to tell me she had an abundance of peppers, both hot and sweet, was I interested? Well, yeah! I stopped by on my way home from work to pick up the peppers and to meet the owners of Crooked Cedar Farm, Edwina and Selvin Harrel. Super folks... took me on a tour of the farm and introduced me to their "ladies"... the hens. We chatted awhile and then I headed home to make my plans for all those colorful peppers.