Crab apples (Different ways to use/preserve them)

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Hi. We have a small orchard that is just starting to produce. Last year we had 12 crab apples this year the tree is loaded. I have canned spiced whole crab apples and several jars of crab apple jelly. I am going to make another batch of crab apple jelly. Does anyone have any other ideas on what to do with crabapples? I don't want to end up with 75 jar of jelly!!! (I made 160 jars of blueberry jam one year. 12 years later we were still eating blueberry jam...vintage blueberry jam. It's gone now but not forgotten!!)

Mary

-- Mary R. (cntryfolk@ime.net), August 23, 2001

Answers

Response to Crab apples

Horses and chickens like them, just don't overfeed to the horses. Deer also relish them.

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), August 23, 2001.

Response to Crab apples

Crabapples are very high in pectin and have a very light taste, so they used to be used as the source of pectin in mixed jellies to give them a pretty color and to jell them. You can make pectin from crabapples and I know there have been recipes to do so in the past couple years in Countryside but I'm not sure when. Maybe someone else knows. I do recall that the recipe was something along the lines of very condensed crabapple juice.

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), August 23, 2001.

Oh I am so jealous.... I want a crabapple tree!!!!

You are so lucky!

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), August 24, 2001.


From my e-book:

According to the November 1997 issue of The Stockman Grass Farmer (800-748-9808), one year a woman in Alexandria, AL sold 800 jars of crab apple jelly out of a cart by the roadside on an honor system basis. The cart came in at night and only one jar was taken without payment.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), August 24, 2001.


I understand they make a very nice contribution to fresh apple cider.

-- Laura Jensen (lrjensen@nwlink.com), August 25, 2001.


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