Foraging is one of my favorite things to do and learn about!
Honestly, how can you beat free and organic food? Perhaps it takes a little more effort, but that’s half the fun and satisfaction. Knowing that you found a food source that wasn’t in a grocery and that you didn’t plant is a great feeling.
Making something useful out of said findings is even more awesome!
Like many foraged foods over the years, Crab Apples have developed somewhat of a reputation as a nuisance. Surely, as the Industrial Revolution marched on and convenience foods became more the norm, fussing over a gnarly old fruit tree became passe.
Not anymore, baby.
With a difficult economy in our laps, more and more Americans are looking to the “ways of old” for answers and finding healthier foods and simpler lifestyles in spite of themselves.
We’ve got about 4 old and large Crab Apple trees on our property. The apples on two of the trees are larger than the others, generally Crab Apples are considered to be an apple less than 2″ in diameter. Crab apples also tend to be very sour and are best used for jams and jellies, although our kids eat them right off the “good” trees and love them!
Crab apples are very high in pectin and can be used to make pectin for your jams and jellies!
Working to get Apple Cider Vinegar going first, since it takes about a month to make, I used this recipe, given to me by Genny and Michele!
In conjunction with the ACV, I made Crab Apple Sauce using this recipe. I got the Morris kid’s seal of approval on it!
Crab Apple Sauce
Ingredients:
9 cups of Crab Apple pieces (skins left on, blossom ends and cores removed)
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
Bring crab apples and water to a boil. Cook until apples soften then coarsely mash with a potato masher. Add sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Cook another 10 minutes on medium-high heat. Use an immersion blender to puree into a sauce. Continue cooking until desired consistency reached (if not thick enough for your tastes, add another cup or two of diced crab apples.)
Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/2″ headspace. Remove any air bubbles, wipe lids of jars. Center hot lids onto jars. Apply screwbands until fingertip tight.
Place jars in water bath canner ensuring that the water level is at least two inches above jar tops. Process jars for 20 minutes (Calgary altitude). Remove jars and set aside to cool.
Makes 9 half pint jars.
***Canning instructions here are not fully detailed. If not an experienced canner, refer to general canning safety rules regarding processing times, etc. Source
There’s so much you can do with Crab Apples, it’s a shame to let them rot and go to waste at the foot of the tree!
Here’s a plethora of recipes to try! I’m working on several this week myself. If you don’t have a Crab Apple tree on your property, ask around. You might be surprised to find that a friend or neighbor would welcome you over to pick or take the drops for free!
Urbanites might even find a Crab Apple tree within city limits, don’t be afraid to call and ask permission to pick up the drops or better yet, to pick.
Fruit Pectin
Crab Apple Tarte
Crab Apple Bread
Crab Apple Crumble
Chilled Apple Soup with Curry
Crab Apple Chutney
Crab Apple Pickles
Crab Apple Butter
Enjoy! Share your recipes for Crab Apples here in the comments or on our Facebook page!
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About kmorris
Ever since your last foraging post it’s really been on my brain. I’m writing a foraging post tonight! Very happy to find someone who’s a big fan of it just like me!
Kelly,
I am so glad you took my and Genny’s suggestions! I too hate to see food go to waste, even more so in these times. Keep up your excellent work!
We used to get the whole family packed into the wagon behind the tractor and to out picking the wild apples to make cider. That was the best cider in the world
Hi Kelly! Thanks for letting me share my own recipe of healthy, fabulously tasty, frozen yogurt!
Here’s the link: http://www.momessentials.net/fabulous-family-frozen-yogurt/
Wow, thanks so much for this post! I have a small crab apple tree in my front yard and always wondered what I could do with the little fruits. My husband is an apple sauce fanatic, so I want to try that first!
Thanks again!
I would love to be able to find a crab apple tree to forage or gleen from. The only thing I’ve ever been able to find growing wild is black berries. Which are wonderful, but apple would be so exciting!
Melissa,
Keep your eyes open for neighbors who may have an apple tree and find it to be a nuisance. I also see excellent trees in the city with “drops” all around them, asking the city or the owner if you could glean might be an option!
I’m in kind of quandry and feel a bit silly, but I am in need of making a usable JellyBag. I came across all these sooper crab aples and we would like to turn them into jelly. About ten years ago we had a tree in our back yard and made full use of it, but we have moved since and some how I never wrote any thing down and now my memmory is failing me big time. It realy is messy straining the juice with out the bag. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Maggie
We got a box or two from a local restaurant’s patio every other year. We made straight crab apple sauce- no sugar , just boiled the cleaned apples, then put it all through a food mill. The seeds and stems and skins came out fine and got into our compost. I think we had 2 cases of quarts this way. I use it instead of apple sauce in recipes. yum…. ( Why do I read your food items before eating my meal?)