# Crabapples...what else can you do with them?



## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

My crabapple trees are producing a bounty of rich, ripe fruit that I've already used in making some jelly and applesauces. I don't care much for spiced, canned crabapple rings and am wondering what other things could be made from crabapples in preserving them for the pantry and such.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

Well. I finally came up with another use of crabapples. 

Homemade Pectin. 

I picked a 13.5 lb. bucket of tart ripe crabapples and turned them into 2.5 gallons of useful Pecin to be used for future use making jams and/or jellies.


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## Head Roller (Sep 24, 2010)

Moonwolf - I am very interested in how you did that.. .I too have a massive and abundant crabapple tree... I have done 3 batches of jelly and butter, and have not even made a DENT in the supply that my daughter has picked, much less what is left on the tree.


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## debbiekatiesmom (Feb 24, 2009)

mary jane's farm magazine had a recipe for them in the oct/nov issue for just eating

spiced crab apples

1 lb crabapples
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
20 whole cloves
5 allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. wash crabapples, but leave the stems intact and don't peel them.
2. place water in large pot. add crabapples, 1 cup sugar, cloves, allspice, cinnamon stick, and salt to pot and bring to a boil over high heat. reduce heat and simmer gently until apples are tender.
3. in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/2 cup sugar and ground cinnamon.
4. drain liquid from crabapples and roll the apples in cinnamon/sugar mixture.
5. pick up by stems to eat.

(i wonder if they couldn't be dehydrated at this point after slicing them up?)


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## Head Roller (Sep 24, 2010)

debbiekatiesmom said:


> mary jane's farm magazine had a recipe for them in the oct/nov issue for just eating
> 
> spiced crab apples
> 
> ...


I have so many it may be worth it just to give this a go..... I also like the dehydrating idea... could be a tasty chewy treat. Thanks for the recipe!!


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

To make apple pectin:

For each 2 lb. of apples add 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Take the crabapples in the water and heat them until soft and add to your squeezo. Gather the liquid pulpy extract and boil it for 40 minutes. Then simply ladle into canning jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. 

To use the pectin:
Add one cup per one cup of fruit to make jam. Add 3/4 cup of sugar to this. Then bring to a boil and cook about 15 minutes. Do a gel test, and then process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.


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## NostalgicGranny (Aug 22, 2007)

You can do anything you can do with apples with them.


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## Head Roller (Sep 24, 2010)

moonwolf said:


> To make apple pectin:
> 
> For each 2 lb. of apples add 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Take the crabapples in the water and heat them until soft and add to your squeezo. Gather the liquid pulpy extract and boil it for 40 minutes. Then simply ladle into canning jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
> 
> ...


Thank You!! I am new to jelly making, and had my first disaster a few days ago.... I tried to make wild plum jelly... it did not gel. Admittedly, I am sure it is my fault as I did not realize that jelly recipes using SURE-JEL are so specific. I made the syrup part with less sugar and more plum pulp. I kept tasting it and it was SOO delicious I was very excited. I did to a gel test, using a cold plate, and it did do a bit of gel-ing at that point, so i finished it off. I now have 12 pints of delicious plum sauce.

I would like to try this again using pectin from my 1000 pounds of crabapples. Would you mind giving me a little more instruction on gel test, and what to do if the mix fails? Thank you!


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## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

I wrote up a whole thing on making homemade pectin in the "What Did You Can Today?" thread. It is post #223.

Maybe this link will work

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?p=4573737&highlight=pectin#post4573737


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## Head Roller (Sep 24, 2010)

Great post Pixie... thanks!


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## PixieLou (May 1, 2010)

I just realized I didn't include jamming instructions in my post on pectin making. 

You need 4-6 Tablespoons of pectin per cup of fruit/juice. 
Then you add an equal amount of sugar. (Remember to add sugar for the liquid pectin you add).
Boil fruit and pectin, add sugar, then cook until the jam passes the sheet test (or the frozen plate gel test).

Note - I have NOT made jam with my homemade pectin yet. I had pretty much finished my jam making for the year by the time I made the pectin.


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## moonwolf (Sep 20, 2004)

I forgot to mention, when making pectin, be sure to strain the pulp you get through a jelly bag or cheesecloth and save the liquid pectin. There will be some sediment, and if you want to make extra clear jelly, you'll want to strain again.


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