I can hardly believe it. My crab apple tree is bearing fruit already! And it’s not even September.
And I have so many, that I will have to preserve them in every way I can think of – I’m going to be using three good, tried and tested methods – hooch, freezing, and sugar.
Unlike their larger brothers, apples, crab apples are too tart to eat raw. But they do make some elegant foodie treats.
From the sustainability point of view they tick all the boxes… you use the whole fruit, cores … the lot. If you have any cores left over, you can make jelly. If you have any whole fruit remaining you can make jelly… hooch… sauce… whatever.
And the trees provide other benefits: they have beautiful blossom in spring, and flaming leaves in the autumn, they help other apple trees pollinate, and they help sustain birds as winter approaches. The trees are easy to grow in sun and in shade. Fruits vary from golden, with a coy blush (like mine, in the featured above), to downright scarlet – like overgrown rosehips. The deeper red varieties tend to have more of a sour, tannic taste. For a lot more information on crab apple trees and how to grow them, go to the Green and Vibrant site.
Crab apples are the smaller tart cousins of the apples we enjoy eating fresh. While often planted as ornamentals, these prolific trees produce fruit that is entirely edible. So when crabapple season arrives, don’t let those petite fruits go to waste!
Though too sour to eat raw crab apples transform into something delicious when cooked. Their dynamic flavor and high natural pectin content make them perfect for preserves baked goods, and more. Read on to discover 18 ingenious ways to use up crab apples.
Crab Apple Basics
Crab apples belong to the same genus (Malus) as regular apples. However, their fruits are under 2 inches wide, compared to the larger apples we eat out of hand. There are over 50 species of crab apples grown worldwide. These trees thrive in temperate regions and are quite cold-hardy.
Though bred primarily for ornamental purposes, crab apples are entirely edible. However, most are extremely tart when raw. Expect an intense, appley flavor with a puckering quality similar to biting into a fresh lemon.
Crab apples contain pectin, vitamin C, fiber, polyphenols, and other beneficial plant compounds. The seeds do contain amygdalin, which breaks down into cyanide, so cores are typically discarded.
When Are Crab Apples Ready To Pick?
Crab apples ripen in late summer into fall. Check for fruits that are firm yet easily cut. Avoid any with significant bruises or damage. Seed color changing from white to brown indicates ripeness.
Taste a crab apple before harvesting quantities. Some trees yield delicious fruits for cooking, while other varieties are so bitter they are best left on the tree. Select crab apples with a nicely balanced tart flavor.
Crab apples keep well into winter. The flavor often improves with cold temperatures, so harvest later if possible. Refrigerate freshly picked fruits.
18 Creative Ways To Use Crab Apples
From sweet to savory preparations, crab apples prove endlessly versatile in the kitchen. Here are 18 delicious ways to put your harvest to use:
1. Crab Apple Jelly
Highlight crab apples in a classic jelly. Their natural pectin allows it to set up easily. Spread crab apple jelly on biscuits, pork dishes, cheese boards, and more.
2. Crab Apple Jam
For a mellower preserve, make crab apple jam. The long cooking coaxes out the fruits’ sweetness. Add warm spices or fresh herbs to complement the crab apples’ flavor.
3. Crab Apple Juice
Press or blend crab apples into a refreshing juice. Sweeten to taste. Sip straight up or use in place of apple cider for a tangy twist.
4. Crab Apple Cider
Harness crab apples’ dynamic flavor in a bubbly hard cider. Use a cider press to juice them, then ferment with yeast. Blend with sweeter apples to temper crab apples’ tartness.
5. Crab Apple Applesauce
Cook chopped crab apples into a sweetened applesauce. Run the cooked fruits through a food mill to remove peel and cores. Eat plain or incorporate into baked goods.
6. Crab Apple Fruit Leather
Puree crab apple sauce, spread onto dehydrator sheets in a thin layer, then dry into chewy fruit leathers. It makes a nutritious on-the-go snack.
7. Crab Apple Butter
For a sweet spread, simmer crab apple sauce down into thick apple butter. The concentrated flavor is delicious on muffins, waffles, oatmeal, and toast.
8. Pickled Crab Apples
Pickle crab apples in a brine of vinegar, sugar, and spices. Then enjoy them as a condiment, garnish, or snack. They pair especially well with poultry and pork.
9. Crab Apple Chutney
Cook down crab apples into a chunky chutney enlivened with onions, garlic, ginger, and other spices and herbs. Spoon over meats or stir into curries.
10. Crab Apple Sauce
Simply cook chopped crab apples with sugar or honey into a versatile sweet-tart sauce. Use to top ice cream, swirl into yogurt, bake into pies, or serve with poultry.
11. Crab Apple Syrup
Simmer crab apples into a concentrated syrup, then use to sweeten beverages or drizzle over pancakes, waffles, and desserts. Infuse with spices for extra flair.
12. Crab Apple Vinegar
Steep crab apples in vinegar for a few weeks to impart a lovely sweet-tart flavor. Then use the infused vinegar in salad dressings, marinades, and pickling recipes.
13. Dried Crab Apples
Dehydrate sliced crab apples into sweet-tart rings. Rehydrate before using in baked goods and preserves, or snack on them dried.
14. Crab Apple Liqueur
Infuse crab apples in vodka or brandy with sugar to make a delicious homemade liqueur. Strain and bottle after 1-2 months.
15. Crab Apple Tea
Simmer dried crab apple rings in water for 15 minutes to release their tart flavor, then strain and sweeten to taste.
16. Crab Apple Pie Filling
Bake chopped crab apples into pies or use as the base for a fruity pie filling. Balance their tartness with sugar, spices, and a flaky crust.
17. Crab Apple Crisp
For a simple dessert, top sliced crab apples with an oat topping and bake. Serve crab apple crisp warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
18. Caramel Crab Apples
Dip whole mini crab apples in melted caramel then coat with nuts or decorations. Kids love these bite-sized candy apples at fall parties.
With their short season, enjoy crab apples while you can! Preserving them allows you to savor their flavor all year long. Whether juiced, dried, canned, or frozen, crab apples add tart goodness to the kitchen.
So next time you come across an abundance of crab apples, don’t let them go to waste. Put them to delicious use with these 18 ideas. Their dynamic flavor adds complexity beyond ordinary apples to jellies, baked goods, cider, vinegar, and more.
Recipe for crab apple sauce
- Approximately 230g/8 oz crab apples
- 120 ml/½ cup water
- Golden caster sugar, or even soft brown sugar, to taste
- Wash, quarter and core the crab apples – save the cores, and any other bits, and put into another smallish saucepan. This is a bit fiddly – if you have a glut simply cut off the flesh to leave the core in a neat square box. Nothing will be wasted because you’ll use the cores for jelly. Don’t peel them though.
- Put the crab apples into a saucepan along with the water, bring to the boil, and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes – until they’re soft. Note – you don’t want to cook too long, you don’t want them to boil dry.
- Drain the soft crab apples into the saucepan with the cores etc. Then blend the crab apples – either with a stick blender, or in an ordinary blender.
- Add sugar to taste. Then, either freeze, or it will keep in the fridge for about a week.
OH JOY!! Crab apple jelly is a real treat – great with pork, and with lamb… and also cheese. And you don’t need to fiddle around adding pectin, crab apples already have more than their fair share. Frances Jones-Davies uses her crab apple jelly to make a layered pie of hot-water crust pastry with chicken and sausage meat. Pru Leith serves hers on toast with peanut butter.
Here’s a very straightforward recipe.
Recipe for crab apple vodka or gin
Makes over a litre
- About 40 crab apples
- 1 litre/1.75 pints vodka or gin
- 225g/1 cup caster sugar BUT BE VERY CAREFUL, you may not need this amount. Use half to begin with, and then keep tasting.
- Fill a large glass jar or jug about half way with crab apples. Add the sugar. Then add the vodka or gin. Then add, if you can, more crab apples so that they are covered by liquid. If you have any left over crab apples you can use them to make jelly.
- Store in a dark place every couple of months, stirring every now and then.
- Then strain your hooch through muslin (exactly as for making damson gin – go here for more on that), decant, test to see if you need to add any more sugar, and serve.
Everything You Need to Know About Crabapples! | DAFT
FAQ
What do you do with crab apples?
Are crab apples useful for anything?
Crabapples are an excellent source of vitamin C, which our bodies need for a strong immune system. While eating crabapples won’t guarantee a healthy body, the nutrients and vitamins will help your body fight off illness. There’s an ounce of truth to the old saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Can you just eat crab apples?
Because crabapples are so rarely eaten, a lot of people think they’re poisonous. That’s not the case, however – just like larger apples, they’re perfectly edible as long as you don’t eat the core and seeds.
Are crab apples safe to eat raw?
Yes, crab apples can safely be eaten cooked or raw. “They’re most commonly used in baked goods or jellies and jams due to their high level of pectin,” explains Edwards.