Hot apple fritters never lose their popularity

  • By Jennifer Kneuss of The Bargain Hunter
  • October 12, 2009
  • 1481
                        
Festival-goers at the Little Switzerland of Ohio’s Swiss Festival quickly learn that there’s one food stand that is a must-visit each and every year – the apple fritter stand, manned by the First Mennonite of Sugarcreek church members. Since the very first year of the festival, 57 years ago, the church has been providing their delicious apple delights to visitors, who patiently stand in line for their turn to purchase the delectable dessert. Dan Hostetler, part of the church’s Swiss Festival committee for the past 13 years, said the church used to make all types of apple desserts, but has gradually streamlined to do what they do best – apple fritters. “We use McIntosh apples, because they’re the best for fritters. The others are too hard or too soft, and McIntosh have the best taste,” said Hostetler. “Usually, for three days, we go through 30 crates of apples,” explained Wes Keim. The group estimates that there are about 7 1/2 gallon buckets of apple rings per crate, to which 2 1/2 bowls of batter are added. “We buy 500 pounds of flour at a time at the IGA,” stated Hostetler. “We also buy donut sugar from the Sugarcreek bulk foods store, and apples from Hillcrest Orchard.” Hostetler won’t reveal the other secret ingredients, however, the basic recipe is out of the Mennonite cookbook. “Only a few of us know the whole recipe.” Herb Torgler, known as Mr. Fritter to his fellow workers, has been part of the apple fritter stand for as long as anyone can remember and knows all about how to make the perfect fritter. There are about 100 volunteers working with him each year, and Torgler has been doing the festival “since the 1960s, sometime,” he stated. “My wife, too, she’s one of the cashiers. My kids had to help when they were home, too. Our volunteers are people who used to come here and come back, and college students bring their friends home for the weekend to help. In a good festival year, we gross around $12,000 to $14,000, minus our overhead.” “Part of that profit goes to missions work, part to the church’s general fund, part to the Swiss Festival church committee for purchasing equipment, and a portion of the profits back to the overall Swiss Festival Association,” added Hostetler. “We have to occasionally purchase new equipment. We’re on the fourth big fryer we’ve had to replace in recent years. This is the fifth or sixth fryer since we started. They used to use little fry pots, but now we use three large commercial fryers.” People obviously love the delicious deep fried apple rings, coated in sweet sugar, and served piping hot. “Some people come every year, just for the fritters. We had one couple come from Canton last night that bought five dozen fritters, and then went home. They’ve done that for 20 years,” exclaimed Hostetler. Mark and Brenda Brumit, of New Philadelphia, are another pair of faithful fritter eaters. “Brenda and I have been married for 21 years, and we’ve come to the festival each year and bought apple fritters.” Workers are faithful to the fritters stand as well. “I’ve worked here with my husband, Wes, since 1972, when we started going to church here,” explained Lizzie Keim, yet another dedicated volunteer. But when it comes to longevity, it’s hard to beat Claud Blauch, a Sugarcreek resident and longtime church member. “I’ve been here ever since they had a booth. I’m 84 years old. It doesn’t seem like such a long time to me. I’ve always been the cashier,” said Blauch, as he carefully counted out change. “I don’t do the frying.” Hostetler chuckled as he explained the group’s ongoing commitment to the apple fritter project. “When you go to church here, you make apple fritters.”


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