BETHANY, MISSOURI
While Jamesport, Missouri is the largest Show-Me-State Amish settlement, there an increasing number of smaller ones dotting the state. Today we take a look at Bethany, Missouri courtesy of Amish resident Wilma Yoder who owns and operates Green Thumb Greenhouses with her husband. Her dispatch is interesting because I think it shows how economically diverse the Amish have become and by starting these little "self-contained communities" that don't grow too large everyone can have a business that doesn't compete with another (i.e. only one bent and dent store, one carpenter crew, etc). Wilma shares a little bit about the church district with us:
SIZE: “There is one church district here with a total of 25 families. One family moved in on the 14th and another favorite wants to move away in November. We have 2 schools.”
OCCUPATIONS: “There are several furniture/cabinet shops, one harness shop, one welding and general repair shop, one metal framing shop, one variety store and one bent n dent salvage grocery store. Several families have greenhouses and also raise tomatoes in a high tunnel and other produce to sell. The family that is planning to move out has a mail-order seed business that has been in the family for 20 years. There is one carpenter crew that builds sheds and barns.”
BUGGIES: “We have black buggies and some have a top and others are the open buggies.”
FAVORITE RECIPE: This is a favorite in our family! It is so simple to make, we like it better than bought ketchup
- 2 gallons of tomatoes
- 2 1 /2 cup sugar
- 1 1 /2 teaspoon mustard
- 1 /4 cup salt
- 2 cups vinegar
- pinch of cloves
- 1 /2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 /4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 /2 teaspoon onion salt
- 1 quart tomato paste
- Wash and cut into pieces the tomatoes.
- Boil for a few minutes.
- Put into a cheesecloth and drain for four hours or overnight.
- Throw away the juice.
- Put pulp through strainer and add all ingredients to pulp and put in jars.
- Process for 10 minutes.
- Yields approximately 5 pints.
HINT: We make our own tomato paste by thickening the tomato juice with clear gel or permaflow.
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