Allens Hill Farm
















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There's nothing slow about this molasses!
Allens Hill Farm
By Linda S. Burnett
Article reprinted courtesy of the Ontario County Connection, Canandaigua, NY.

RICHMOND
We who are over the age of 40 can remember hearing our grandparents use the phrase: "Slow as molasses in January." In this modern world where everything has to be fast, from food to computers, it's a description that's rarely heard. But even in the world of molasses, things aren't as slow as they used to be!

It's always interesting to hear how a new business finds its way to prosperity. In the case of Richmond resident John Loveland, his new business comes from a time when it wasn't all about speed. He found his idea in an old pioneer recipe book at the Allen's Hill library.

"I like to cook," says Loveland from his production and retail facility on County Road 40 in Richmond, "and I'm always looking for old early American style recipes. I like the fact that they cooked utilizing only the ingredients readily available to them. They couldn't run to the store to buy fancy ingredients, and sometimes things as simple as sugar weren't in the cupboard. So one day I found this book called Pioneer Cookery by Susan S. Kinsey at the Allen's Hill library. Susan Kinsey actually works at the Genesee Country Museum, and the book is a collection of old pioneer recipes that she has compiled. Anyway, in the back of the book, I found this old recipe for apple cider molasses and decided to make a batch, just to see what it was like."

It took Loveland a couple of times to get it right, but the final results were wonderful. He used it as a substitute in recipes that called for traditional molasses, and his friends and family were very impressed. He made more and tried it in more and more recipes, utilizing it as a substitute for sugar in many. Since he got such great feedback, he began to think of marketing it. Loveland, who had worked in the food industry for over 20 years, started doing his homework, and through research, discovered that there was no one in the entire country making apple cider molasses.

"As far as we know, we're the only business in the country that makes this," he says, "which is why we've applied for the trademark. Allens Hill Farm, for all intent and purpose, is the home of Apple Cider Molasses."

What exactly is apple cider molasses? It's an all-natural sweetener produced from 100% pure fresh apple cider. It contains no additives, preservatives or added sugars, has a rich amber color and a thick syrup consistency, and it keeps very well. It is not like true molasses, which is a byproduct of sugar refining. It's produced by a specific cooking process, using apple cider as its only ingredient. The cider is cooked down until it reaches the same consistency as molasses. It was first introduced by frontier cooks as a sweetener because sugar was either unaffordable or unobtainable, and it can be used as a sweetener in practically any application. You can substitute it for sugar, honey or conventional molasses in most recipes, and it is an excellent base for glazes. It can also be used as a spread or topping, and its high acidity makes for excellent leavening action in recipes using baking soda or baking powder.

"Once I started making the molasses, it led to other specialty products," Loveland explains. "A process similar to that which we use for making apple cider molasses is used to produce our apple syrup, an all-natural syrup for use on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, etc. Additionally, we flavor our apple syrup with natural cinnamon oil to create apple cinnamon syrup. We've also made a smoky apple glaze and a spiced apple glaze, great for any kind of meats, as well as using the syrups as a coating for our granola and our caramel apple popcorn."

In addition to their syrups and glazes, Allens Hill Farm has also developed a variety of mixes that are truly distinctive. The homemade flavors and textures are the result of using the finest ingredients, organic spices and some unique recipes. These premium mixes will make your guests think you've found a wonderful new recipe, not an easy to make mix! Loveland makes his mixes using flours and grains from New Hope Mills, one of the oldest mills in the United States. This mill, located in Moravia, NY, has been producing some of the finest all-natural, unbleached and un-enriched flours since 1823. Loveland adds certified organic spices and pure vanilla extracts, and none of the mixes contain any chemical preservatives or additives. Many come with a complimentary packet of their Apple Cider Molasses.

"We've developed mixes for cookies, cakes and quick breads," he states. "We have gingerbread mixes, cornbread mixes, cake mixes, even a crustless apple pie mix. We have mixes for New England brown breads and a wonderful whole wheat bread, and all you have to do is add water and bake. We've developed our own pancake and crepe mixes, and we even carry our own specialty flour blends for people who want to create their own baking sensations. It's really turned into a fast growing business!"

And getting faster by the moment! John's wife, Carolyn, has run her own small business called Drapery Creations from their home since 1990. They are now rearranging the building they put up behind their home for the drapery business to accommodate the very active molasses business. Now that they are doing food shows, festivals and agricultural fairs, have their molasses and mix products in several retail locations and at apple farms all over the county, have an active website to market their goods on line, and a small public retail outlet on their property, the Lovelands have found that they are burning the candle at both ends.

"It's reached a point where we have to start thinking about getting more help," John says with a smile. "It's not a bad place to be, but it's sure happened a lot faster than I think either of us was anticipating."

With the holidays coming up, the Lovelands have also started a new gift box selection. They have assembled six different collections of their products for people to give as gifts for the holidays. The "Sampler Gift Box" contains bottles of Apple Cider Molasses, apple cinnamon syrup, and smoky apple glaze. Their "Favorites Gift Box" contains cornbread and gingerbread mixes, Sugar and Spice Cookie mix, 8-grain pancake mix, and Apple Cider Molasses. They also have a "Breakfast Gift Box," a "Cookie Mix Gift Box," a "Quick Bread Gift Box," and a "Dessert Gift Box," sure to please someone on your gift-giving list.

"I think the fact that all of our products are 100% natural with no additives or preservatives is a strong selling point," Loveland says, "but also that everything we use to make this is produced locally is also big. We buy all our apple cider from Red Jacket Farms in Geneva, simply because they press year round so we can get fresh cider any time of year. We buy all of our flours from New Hope Mills and try to use local suppliers for everything else we need to make our business work. I want to be able to market our product as a locally grown and produced item, as unique as the area it comes from."

If you're interested in visiting their small retail shop, it's located at 3663 County Road 40 (Allens Hill Road) in Richmond. You can pick up any of the products that they make, including their specialty baking mixes (even the most discriminating guests will swear you made these from scratch!) and flours. They also carry a supply of all-natural New Hope flours, as well as a large selection of organic spices. You can also check out all that they offer online at www.allenshillfarm.com. Although they aren't officially set up for e-commerce as yet, you are welcome to email your orders to them, and they will ship them out to you directly or have them ready for pickup. They also offer their products wholesale and encourage clubs and organizations to consider using them for fund-raising goals. The high quality of their products affords an excellent opportunity for great sales and satisfied patrons. Contact them by phone or at sales@allenshillfarm.com for details.

"We also offer a huge array of recipes online and with everything we sell, because it's just amazing all the different ways you can use our molasses in place of other ingredients," Loveland says. "If you're a baker or a chef, you need to try a bottle of this, just to see how it can infuse new life into standard recipes or create totally new ones. Being acidic, it supplies powerful rising power, making for light, delicate textures. The subtle apple flavor comes through even more as the product rests and mellows. The beautiful amber color gives a wonderful, old fashioned appearance to many products, and it will help to reduce or even eliminate added sugar for health conscious customers. Apple cider molasses is also perfect to create exciting new brews for microbrewers. Instead of adding honey, try apple cider molasses. Its great flavor, amber color and balance of sweetness and acidity will make your next new beer truly unique from your competitor's. So many ways to use it! It's a product for everyone!"

Allens Hill Farm is located at 3663 County Road 40 (turn at the Holloway House in Bloomfield and travel about 6 miles toward Honeoye) in the town of Richmond. Their production facility and shop are located behind their yellow house in the big gray barn. You can sample and view all of their products there or view them online at www.allenshillfarm.com. Their products can also be found at other locations throughout the county, including: Victor Farm Market on Wednesdays from 1:00 - 7:00 p.m., The Canandaigua Farm Market on Saturday mornings, at Artizann's in Naples, West's Shur-Fine in Honeoye and Lima, The Apple Farm in Victor, Red Jacket Orchards in Geneva, and at the Sheldrake Point Vineyard and Café. You can also give them a call at (585) 657-4710 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday for more information.

Apple Cider Molasses Recipes

Apple Cider Molasses Gingerbread
1/2 cup soft butter
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tsp. ginger powder
1/2 cup apple cider molasses

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 9" round cake pan. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Beat until fluffy. Add boiling water and molasses, beat well. Mix together remaining dry ingredients. Add to wet mixture and combine well. Pour into pan and bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Allow to mellow overnight before serving for a wonderful full apple flavor!

Chicken with Apple Onion Glaze
1 chicken
1 cup minced onions
2 tbs. butter or vegetable oil
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 cup apple cider molasses
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tbs. parsley
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cayenne
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Clean and cut up a whole chicken (or use any pieces you prefer). Mince one onion (about 1 cup). Cook in a small saucepan with the oil until very soft. Add seasonings and apple cider molasses. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Use a blender to puree the onions and make a semi-smooth sauce. Brush on the chicken and place into the oven. Brush on additional sauce every 15 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165�F.

Apple Cider Molasses Cornbread
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup apple cider molasses

Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour batter into a 8" x 8" pan. Bake at 425°F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. For best apple flavor, when cool, cover and allow to mellow overnight before serving.