When we moved here to South Carolina in the summer of 1985, besides my grandmother, the thing I missed most about Pennsylvania Dutch Country was the food, and scrapple was on the top of that list. Now a Greensboro, North Carolina sausage maker, Neese’s, makes delicious scrapple, but back then the only way I could get scrapple in South Carolina was to make my own. (I’ll give you the recipe towards the end of this post.)

Every week I drive to Old McCaskill’s Farm  (OMF) in Rembert, South Carolina, where we have a small apiary of three bee hives. That 50 minute drive takes me through beautiful South Carolina farm land, and much of it follows the exact route early European settlers traveled from Philadelphia to Charleston. (It’s called The Old Wagon Road, and you can read more about that HERE.) It also takes me through our historic town of Camden, SC, where you can still visit the historic Battle of Camden site from the Revolutionary War. (I never knew how many Revolutionary War battles were fought in South Carolina till we moved here!)

Two weeks ago I was driving through busy Broad Street in Camden on my way home from checking on the bees at OMF, when I saw that a new store had opened, and I zipped right into the nearest parking space because I sure couldn’t pass up a visit to Schmucker’s Amish General Store! Wow! 

 

Now, I grew up in Amish country in Pennsylvania and, even though the owner of this store was of the Amish sect in Ohio, you’ve got to know that the first thing I thought of was that maybe they would have some of that good food that I’ve missed so much! I walked through aisles of the most beautiful handmade furniture and leather goods, past the quilts and dolls, and headed straight for the large refrigerators. BINGO! There, through the foggy glass doors, was SCRAPPLE! And RING BOLOGNA, for heavens sake! HA! Here is a picture of our breakfast the next morning. 🙂

 

This scrapple is delicious! (And see how yellow-orange our fresh farm eggs are?) If you are lucky enough to be able to find ready made scrapple, fry it crisp and enjoy it with eggs or just with maple syrup and buttered toast. If you don’t have any place to buy scrapple, then make some yourself. Here’s the recipe I used to use. It’s from The Art of Pennsylvania Dutch Cooking, a cookbook my Dutchy grandmother gave me back in 1980. (If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much! hahaha)

Scrapple II (Page 52)
(Pawnhaus)

3 quarts broth
2 cups cooked pork meat, cut fine
3 cups corn meal
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Make the broth by boiling together one cleaned hog’s head* with heart and liver and pieces of pork. Cook several hours. Remove the meat from the bones and measure. What is left can be used in making meat pudding.

Bring the meat and broth to a boil. Into it dribble the corn meal, stirring constantly until the consistency of mush has been achieved. Add seasonings and cook slowly for an hour. Pour into loaf pans, 9x5x3 inches, and cool. Slice and fry when cold.

*Unless you can get a hog’s head, heart and liver from a butcher, you can use spare ribs and pork neck bones to make the broth and the meat. I must admit that I never even looked for a hog’s head, heart and liver!

Of course you will need some really fresh and tasty farm fresh eggs to go with your scrapple, so come visit our Fox Trot Farm Market every Sunday afternoon from 1:00-5:00 p.m. and stock up on eggs, honey, Pennslyvania Dutch style baked goods, honey and beeswax soap, quilted goods, and more. You can find us at 5066 Rowell RD, Lancaster, SC. We gladly accept cash, personal checks, and credit cards. While you’re here, visit our lambs and dairy goats, and enjoy our large flock of chickens that wander the yard. 🙂 Please call for appointments for purchases during the week and for arranging tours of our farm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EIEIO!
Deb