Crab apples are smaller, sour cousins of the apples we like to eat fresh. Even though these trees are often planted as ornamentals, their fruit can be eaten. When crabapple season comes around, don’t throw away those small fruits!
Crab apples are too sour to eat raw, but they taste great when they’re cooked. They are great for making jams, jellies, baked goods, and more because they have a strong flavor and a lot of natural pectin. Find out 18 clever ways to use up crab apples below.
Crab Apple Basics
Apples and crab apples are both in the same genus, Malus. However, their fruits aren’t even 2 inches wide, while apples we eat by hand are. 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 have polyphenols, pectin, vitamin C, fiber, and other good plant chemicals. Because the seeds have amygdalin in them, which turns into cyanide when broken down, cores are usually thrown away.
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
- Clean the crab apples, cut them in half, and remove the core. Save the cores and any other bits and put them in a further small saucepan. This is a bit tricky; if you have a glut, just cut off the flesh and keep the core in a square box. The cores will be used to make jelly, so nothing will go to waste. Don’t peel them though.
- Add the crab apples and water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let them cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re soft. Note: Don’t cook them for too long or they’ll dry out.
- Put the soft crab apples, cores, and other parts of the pot into a strainer. Then, use a stick blender or a regular blender to blend the crab apples.
- Add sugar to taste. After that, you can freeze it or put it 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) of caster sugar, but be careful—you might not need this much. Use half to begin with, and then keep tasting.
- Put about half of the crab apples into a large glass jar or jug. Add the sugar. Then add the vodka or gin. Next, if you can, add more crab apples until they are fully covered by the sauce. You can make jelly with crab apples that you have left over.
- Put it away in a dark place and stir it every couple of months.
- First, strain your liquor through muslin, just like you would when making damson gin (click here to learn more about that). Then, decant it, check to see if you need to add more sugar, and serve.
Everything You Need to Know About Crabapples! | DAFT
FAQ
What do you do with crab apples?
Crab apples, known for their tartness, are versatile fruits used in various culinary and even some non-culinary applications. They are commonly used to make jelly, applesauce, and butter due to their high pectin content, which helps with setting.
Are crab apples useful for anything?
Crabapples are an excellent source of vitamin C, which our bodies need for a strong immune system. Eating crabapples won’t make you healthy, but the vitamins and nutrients will help your body fight off sickness. 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. Because they have a lot of pectin, Edwards says, “they’re most often used in baked goods or jellies and jams.”