Mountain Farm Museum Apple House

Another type of food that many mountain families ate was fruit, and more specifically apples which were stored in apple houses. This specific structure was originally located on the farm of Will Messer in Little Cataloochee, North Carolina. Due to the cooler climate in the mountain region, apple trees grew very abundantly, and most families had a few trees on their land. Apples had a multitude of purposes, from being eaten raw, to making cider, vinegar, sauce, butter, and pies. There was no shortage in ways to take apples and turn them into something the whole family enjoyed. If the apples were picked in time and stored properly, they lasted throughout the winter and provided the family with fresh fruit for months. Often in an attempt to preserve apples better, a family sliced them and then dried them. Another way to preserve apples was by sulfuring them. This was a process where the slices of fruit were exposed to sulfur smoke which killed any bacteria that was on the apples. Both dried and sulfured apples were used throughout the winter when there was a lack of fresh fruit. They were both used in cakes and pies to create delicacies that were enjoyed no matter the season. 

The original location of this structure was built into the side of a hill. This enabled the lower stone portion to be underground which acted as a type of insulation from the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter. This sort of building was not usually common on a farmstead unless the farm had a large orchard that produced a large number of apples. As the apples were picked, they were stored in the apple house until they were moved to the market to be sold

Tom Robbins, Mountain Farm Museum (Gatlinburg: Smoky Mountain Association), 7-8.