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  • Crabapple (crab apple) recipes

    Just spotted a crabapple tree down the road from me and after a search, discovered that the vine is particularly short of recipes. So I poached a few from elsewhere:

    Crab Apple Jelly

    4 kg crab apples
    1 kg caster sugar
    1 lemon, juiced

    1. Wash the apples, remove the blossom heads and cut out any bruised bits. Put in a saucepan, fill with water to cover the apples and bring to the boil. Simmer for 25 minutes until the fruit is soft. Pour the pulp into a jelly bag or several layers of muslin and let drip overnight into a pan beneath. Don’t squeeze the bag, it will cloud the jelly.
    2. The next day, measure the juice, and combine with sugar at the ratio of 10 parts juice to 7 sugar. Add the lemon, then bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Keep at a rolling boil for 35–40 minutes, skimming off the froth regularly. To test, chill a dessertspoon in the fridge. When the jelly is set, it will solidify on the back of the spoon. Pour into warm, sterilised preserving jars and tightly seal while still slightly warm. Store in a cool dark place.

    Crab Apple Hot Pepper Jelly

    2 lbs crabapples
    1 1/2 cups water
    red wine vinegar
    3 3/4 cups granulated sugar
    1 cup sweet green bell peppers
    1/3 cup hot peppers (mix and match hot peppers for color and preferred degree of heat)


    1. In a Dutch oven, combine crabapples with water.
    2. Cover and bring slowly to simmer.
    3. Cook until crabapples are very soft.
    4. Pour into a colander lined with a square of dampened cheesecloth and placed over a deep bowl.
    5. Weight down with a saucer and heavy can.
    6. Let stand until dripping stops.
    7. Discard pulp.
    8. Pour collected juice into a liquid measure.
    9. Add enough vinegar to make 3 cups.
    10. Combine in a saucepan with sugar.
    11. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
    12. Add peppers, then boil briskly for 8 to 10 minutes or until set.
    13. Stir for 7 minutes to prevent floating peppers.
    14. Pour jelly into hot, sterilized 8-ounce canning jars.
    15. Seal with two-piece canning lids.
    16. Let cool, then refrigerate. For long-term unrefrigerated storage, process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes immediately after sealing jars.

    NOTE: To test for set, remove pan from heat.
    Dip a cold metal spoon into the liquid and hold well above the steam.
    Turn spoon sideways and let liquid run off.
    When it forms two drops that run together and drip from edge of spoon, jelling point has been reached.

    Crab Apple Jam

    5 quarts crabapples
    2 cups water
    1/4 cup lemon juice
    1 cup apple juice
    1/2 cup water
    1 1/3 cups honey

    1. Cook crabapples in 2 cups water until they begin to pop (about 20 minutes).
    2. Press the cooked crabapples through a sieve or food mill.
    3. In a large saucepan or kettle, combine pulp, lemon juice, apple juice and water.
    4. Add honey.
    5. Bring to a rolling boil; boil 1 minute, stirring frequently.
    6. When the jam starts to "sheet" from the edge of the spoon it has begun to jell.
    7. Remove from heat.
    8. Pour into sterilized jars, seal, and process 10 minutes in boiling water bath.

    Rosy Crab Apple Pie Filler or (fall Apples)

    This excellent recipe was passed to me along with a pail of the smaller apple crabs. It works great with the fall apples too, especially those not requiring peeling. I use this with the larger fall apples only some I find do require peeling. When dealing with large quantities of the fall apple crop I double and triple this and put in fridge while preparing pastry and get an assembly line going. In short order have pies prepared then go on to making and freezing pie filler for the winter months with the rest of the apples. This does freeze well.
    6 cups of sliced unpeeled crabapples or fall apples
    1/3 cup water (I use 2/3 cup of water)
    1 cup sugar
    1 tablespoon flour
    1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (I usually use Realemon)
    1 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
    1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

    1. In large pot steam sliced apples 1- 2 minutes.
    2. Cool 1- 2 minutes.
    3. Add the rest of the ingredients and pie filler is ready to use.
    4. Hint When dealing with large quantities of apples I prepare double and triple batches of the pie filler, cool and set into the fridge while preparing the pastry.
    5. I find using the recipe'Lemon Tang Pastry' which was passed to me as no-fail pastry works so very well making the preparation of pies for the freezer a snap.
    6. Time depends on how fast you can prepare the apples, those with experience do get throught prep time quickly!

    Alaskan Crab Apple and Raspberry Mint Crisp
    6 cups crab apples
    1 tsp. lemon zest
    1 cup seedless raspberry puree
    1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
    1/2 cup sugar

    Topping
    1/2 cup unbleached flour
    Raspberry syrup, optional
    1/4 cup fresh mint
    Additional fresh mint, optional

    1. In medium mixing bowl, combine peeled and sliced crab apples (see note), pureed raspberries, sugar, all-purpose flour, chopped mint, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside and prepare Topping (recipe below).
    2. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
    3. Grease large baking pan (15x7x2) and spread filling mixture on bottom of pan.
    4. Top with topping mixture, spreading evenly over entire surface. Do not pack topping; steam must be allowed to escape from cooking fruit mixture.
    5. Bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes or until fruit juices simmer from edges of baking pan (place cookie sheet under pan before baking to collect drips, if desired).
    6. Remove from oven and allow to cool 1-11/2 hours before slicing.
    7. To serve, place slice of warm crisp on serving plate, streak with additional raspberry syrup and garnish with sprig of fresh mint, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

    NOTE: Other tart apples, such as Granny Smith, can be substituted. This recipe can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Before serving, remove from refrigerator, slice and warm in oven.

    Topping

    1 small box frozen raspberries
    2 cups unbleached flour
    11/4 cups apple cider
    2 tsp. ground cinnamon
    2 cups rolled oats

    1. Thaw raspberries at room temperature and allow them to remain liquid.
    2. Pour raspberries and juice in small pan and bring to slow boil.
    3. Cook for 20 minutes, reducing by half. Once reduced, pour through strainer to remove seeds.
    4. In small pan, bring 11/4 cup apple cider to slow boil and cook for 20 minutes, reducing by half.
    5. In medium mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, all-purpose flour, reduced raspberry puree and cinnamon. Slowly add reduced apple cider while mixing carefully to combine and form loose crumble topping.

    Pickled Crab Apples

    8 quarts crab apples
    6 sticks cinnamon
    1/4 cup whole cloves
    1 quart vinegar
    2-1/2 lbs sugar

    1. Select apples of uniform size, wash and remove blossom ends, but do not pare.
    2. Tie spices loosely in cheesecloth bag.
    3. Mix vinegar and sugar, add spices and heat to boiling. Add apples and reheat mixture slowly to avoid bursting skins. Simmer until apples are tender.
    4. Pack apples in sterile jars, cover with boiling vinegar syrup and seal.

    Makes 10 pints.

    Crab Apple Liqueur

    4 quarts crabapples, washed,cored and quartered
    4 cups sugar
    3 cups vodka

    1. Fill 1 (4-quart) mason jar with tight-fitting lid with prepared crabapples.
    2. Add the 4 cups of sugar and three cups of vodka.
    3. Store the jar on its side, turning once every day for 16 days to help the sugar to dissolve.
    4. After 16 days, filter out the fruit bits and bottle.


    Let me know if you try any of these
    Current Executive Board Members at Ollietopia Inc:
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  • #2
    Thanks Ollie! I might try some of them (If i can lay my hands on more apples!)

    I spotted a crab apple tree the other day and picked what I could - not masses I am afraid. However I also got some blackberries and elderberries and made my own recipe from the little I had by bastardising a river cottage recipe for rowan berry and crab apple jelly - it set well and tastes fab - this made 8 small jars (165g mint sauce size):

    Crab apple, blackberry & elderberry jelly

    500g crab apples (when peeled - leave cores in)
    500g blackberries
    500g elderberries
    Sugar (based off juice volume)
    water

    -Peel crab apples, but leave cores in
    -Removed the stalks from all the blackberries
    -Remove the elderberries from the stems with a fork
    -Chuck it all in a pan and almost cover with water
    -Bring to the boil and then simmer
    -Use a big spoon to crush the apples etc against the side of the pan
    -When it is all broken down and mushy remove from the heat.
    -Strain it through some muslin into a clean pan (I left mine dripping over night).
    -Disgard the mush (or squish more juice out if you don't mind it being a little cloudy - this won't harm the taste).
    -Measure the volume of juice you have and for each litre add 750g sugar.
    -Bring to the boil and boil til setting point (105C) if you have a jam thermometer or do the setting test on a cold plate
    -You may need to skim some scummy yuk from the top of the mixture
    -Carefully pour into warm sterilised jars
    -Should keep for a year
    Last edited by mrdinkle; 14-09-2009, 11:06 AM.
    Excuse me, could we have an eel? You've got eels down your leg.

    Comment


    • #3
      OllieMartin, you're a star.
      I moved into a place back in April and for the first time I've got a Crab Apple Tree in my garden.
      Now where exactly am I going to find the time to harvest and do something with all those Crab Apples in addition to everything else that's going on around here?!!
      Thank you for the inspiration. Keep it coming. X

      Comment


      • #4
        I second that your a super star, I've been out today picking crab apples and I have 30lb+ so I think I'll try the "crab apple liqueur", But what I'm really after Is a dry cider recipe.

        Comment


        • #5
          We made this recipe yesterday and today (it 'dripped' over night!). The original recipe used more sugar, but we cut it down as the rosehips make the jelly very sweet.

          Crab apple and rosehip jelly

          This recipe scales up well, according to the success of your foraging, stick to the principle of roughly 50% crab apple.

          1kg rosehips (or sloes, or rowan berries, or haws, or a mixture)
          1kg crab apples
          600g sugar/litre juice (original recipe said 750g)

          You will also need a jelly bag (or a clean cotton cloth and a big sieve)

          Remove the berries from the stalks and wash them well. Peel and roughly chop the crab apples, but leave in the cores - they contribute lots of pectin, which helps set the jelly.

          Put all the fruit into a large, heavy pan, along with enough water to just come up to the top of the fruit. Bring to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally and crushing the fruit against the side of the pan, until the whole mass is soft and pulpy.

          Tip the mixture into a jelly bag (or a large sieve lined with a cotton cloth) suspended over a bowl, and leave to drain. If you want a clear jelly, just let the liquid drip through, but if you want to get the maximum yield and don't mind if your jelly is a little cloudy, squeeze the pulp to extract every last drop of juice.

          (If you've lots of fruit it might be easier to seperately cook the apples and 'juice' them (put the juice in the fridge). Then 'juice' the rosehips as they take longer to 'break down'.)

          Measure the juice, then transfer it to a clean pan and add 600g sugar for every litre of juice. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then boil rapidly, skimming off any scum that might rise to the surface, until you reach setting point - you can measure this with a sugar thermometer: it's 106C.

          Alternatively, after about 10 minutes of hard boiling, take the pan off the heat and drop a teaspoon of the jelly on to a cold saucer, put this in the fridge for a couple of minutes, then push your finger through the jelly. If the surface wrinkles, your jelly is ready. If not, boil for five minutes longer, then repeat the test.

          As soon as setting point is reached, remove the pan from the heat and pour the jelly into warm, sterilised jars. Cover with a disc of waxed paper, then a lid.

          Leave for a few weeks to mature before eating. The jelly should keep for up to a year.
          Last edited by smallblueplanet; 21-09-2009, 07:58 AM.
          To see a world in a grain of sand
          And a heaven in a wild flower

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by wellie View Post
            OllieMartin, you're a star.
            Wierd, was just reading this thread again whilst listening to "The Killers - Andy, You're a Star"
            Coincidence?

            Originally posted by ginger ninger View Post
            I think I'll try the "crab apple liqueur", But what I'm really after Is a dry cider recipe.
            Did you do the liqueur? How did it come out?
            And did you find a dry cider recipe?

            I never got the opportunity to poach the crab apples in the end as it was a long way out of town on the way to/from a job and I never had the time.

            EDIT: just noticed, this thread has 1,100 views, but only 5 replies. I'm guessing it comes up a lot on Google searches.
            Last edited by OllieMartin; 29-11-2009, 11:24 AM.
            Current Executive Board Members at Ollietopia Inc:
            Snadger - Director of Poetry
            RedThorn - Chief Interrobang Officer
            Pumpkin Becki - Head of Dremel Multi-Tool Sales & Marketing and Management Support
            Jeanied - Olliecentric Eulogy Minister
            piskieinboots - Ambassador of 2-word Media Reviews

            WikiGardener a subsidiary of Ollietopia Inc.

            Comment


            • #7
              Hi Ollie - are you psychic as well??? Yesterday my very own Crab Apple John Downie got planted on the lottie (along with a quince and a damson)!
              So, flushed with success and feeling optimistic for a huge crop of crab apples next year, I sat down at the 'puter to have a bit of a search on the Vine when up popped this post!! Weird.
              Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by Jeanied View Post
                Hi Ollie - are you psychic as well??? Yesterday my very own Crab Apple John Downie got planted on the lottie (along with a quince and a damson)!
                So, flushed with success and feeling optimistic for a huge crop of crab apples next year, I sat down at the 'puter to have a bit of a search on the Vine when up popped this post!! Weird.
                oo-er, spooky!
                Current Executive Board Members at Ollietopia Inc:
                Snadger - Director of Poetry
                RedThorn - Chief Interrobang Officer
                Pumpkin Becki - Head of Dremel Multi-Tool Sales & Marketing and Management Support
                Jeanied - Olliecentric Eulogy Minister
                piskieinboots - Ambassador of 2-word Media Reviews

                WikiGardener a subsidiary of Ollietopia Inc.

                Comment


                • #9
                  We've spotted two cracking crabapple trees near us. Is it too early to pick, do we need to wait until Sept?

                  Thanks in advance

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by mrdinkle View Post

                    -Peel crab apples, but leave cores in
                    Who ever has time to peel crab apples No need to peel, core or even remove stems or bruised bits if you are making jelly as the pulp gets left behind.

                    I picked 8kg of crabs yesterday courtesy of a fellow freegler plus 1kg of sloes on the way home. Ist lot of juice dripping as I type.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I didn't even know you could eat Crab Apples? Oops.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by ginger ninger View Post
                        I second that your a super star, I've been out today picking crab apples and I have 30lb+ so I think I'll try the "crab apple liqueur", But what I'm really after Is a dry cider recipe.
                        You may like to try this,
                        Verjuice.
                        Two or three days before you pick the apples start yeast working as follows,
                        1/4 pt. water
                        1tspn. malt
                        1tspn sugar

                        1/2 tspn citric acid
                        1/4 tspn marmite or similar
                        white wine yeast

                        bring water to the boil in a small pan add malt, sugar and citric acid and stir 'til dissolved.
                        Cover and cool to 8o% F.(25% C.) then stir in marmite and yeast Put into a serilised bottle and plug with cotton-wool. After about three days when the top becomes creamy it is ready for use.
                        THEN...
                        2lbs. crab apples
                        6pts. water
                        1tspn citric acid
                        1lb. sugar
                        Wash apples and cut up roughly, place in a large pan with 1pt. water and citric acid. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 mins., then add sugar and stir to dissolve.
                        Strain liquid through a nylon strainer into a jug, cool a bit and pour into sterile demi-john- Top up with remaining cold water. When liquid is 80% F. add activated yeast and plug demi-john with cotton-wool.
                        After 24hrs. fit an airlock and leave to ferment for a week (fermentation may be very vigorous to begin with.
                        After a week siphon into a clean demi-john and leave to ferment for 2-3 weeks.
                        Syphon into sterilised bottles and screw down tightly.
                        You can use this immeadiately for cooking where wine vinegar or lemon juice is called for or keep for 3-4 months when you can drink it as a dry cider.

                        Crab Apple Syrup
                        4lbs. crab apples
                        1lb. sugar
                        1pt. apple juice(see recipe)
                        Wash crabs and cut in half, discarding and nasty looking bits. Drop the pieces into cold water as you go.Drain and put into large pan with just enough water to cover.Bring to the boil and simmer for 20mins.until fruit is soft and pulpy. Strain through a double thickness of muslin overnight.
                        Measure juice into a pan and to each pint of juice add 1 lb. sugar Bring to the bil and boil steadily for no more than 3mins.(any longer and you'll have crab-apple jelly!)
                        Skim thoroughly then pour into sterilised bottles. Allow to cool before scewing on caps.
                        This will keep over the winter if kept in the fridge. Dilute with soda water.

                        Both these recipes have been tried and tested and come from Pamela Michael's "All Good Things Around Us"

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Yes you can eat (as jelly etc) not only wild crab apples, but also the ornamental varieties (Golden Hornet, John Downie etc).
                          I've made crab apple jelly from green types (comes out pale delicate pink) all the way up to the deep red ones (comes out the colour of a good claret), and it all tastes pretty good, either as a condiment (good with roast pork etc) or used like jam.
                          Flowers come in too many colours to see the world in black-and-white.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Bumping this thread, there's loads of crab apples about this year.

                            Comment

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