Crab Apple recipes

Ingredients

• 250 g crab apples, washed and roughly chopped
• Water, enough to cover the fruit
• Golden granulated sugar: 60 g for every 100 ml strained juice

Equipment

• Medium saucepan
• Jelly bag or clean muslin
• Measuring jug
• Sugar thermometer if available
• Sterilised jar

Method

1. Simmer the chopped fruit with just enough water to cover for about 30 minutes, mashing occasionally, until very soft.
2. Let the pulp drip through a jelly bag or muslin for several hours or overnight. Avoid squeezing if you want a clear jelly.
3. Measure the juice and weigh 60 g sugar for every 100 ml juice.
4. Warm the juice and sugar gently until dissolved, then boil briskly until it reaches about 105°C and a cooled sample wrinkles when pushed.
5. Pour into a sterilised jar, seal and cool.

Ingredients

• 30–40 crab apples, washed and halved
• 1 litre gin or vodka
• 200 g caster sugar

Equipment

• Large preserving jar with a secure lid
• Muslin
• Clean bottle

Method

1. Pack a clean preserving jar roughly three-quarters full with the halved crab apples.
2. Add the sugar, pour in the gin or vodka and top up with any remaining fruit before sealing.
3. Leave for one to two months, turning the jar daily for the first week and occasionally after that.
4. Strain through two or three layers of muslin into a clean bottle.
5. Leave for about another month before drinking.

Ingredients

• 50 g crab apples
• 500 g rowan berries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
• A splash of apple juice or water

Equipment

• Heavy-based saucepan
• Fine sieve
• Dehydrator or very low oven
• Shallow lined tray if oven-drying

Method

1. De-stalk and quarter the crab apples; wash the rowan berries.
2. Cook both fruits gently with a small splash of apple juice or water until soft.
3. Cool slightly, mash, then push the mixture through a fine sieve.
4. Stir the sugar and spices into the smooth fruit purée.
5. Spread thinly and evenly. Dehydrate for at least six hours, or use a very low oven for up to about twelve hours, until leathery rather than wet.
6. Cool, cut into strips and store airtight.

Ingredients

• 12 sound crab apples, washed, with blossom remnants removed
• 12 small kebab sticks
• 200 g sugar
• 1 tsp cider or white vinegar
• 1 tsp butter
• 3 tbsp water
• Red food colouring, optional

Equipment

• Small heavy saucepan
• Baking tray
• Greased baking paper
• Cup of cold water for testing the toffee

Method

1. Push a small stick securely into the core of each crab apple and line a tray with greased baking paper.
2. Heat the sugar, vinegar, butter and water, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
3. Boil rapidly for a few minutes until a drop of syrup forms a soft ball in cold water.
4. Take the pan off the heat and carefully roll each apple through the hot toffee to coat it.
5. Set the apples on the prepared tray until the coating firms.

Ingredients

• Ripe crab apples, quartered with stems and blossom ends removed
• Water or apple juice: about half as much liquid as prepared fruit by volume
• Granulated sugar: ¼–½ cup for each cup of finished fruit pulp
• Ground cinnamon: about 1 tsp per quart of fruit pulp
• Optional small amounts of allspice, cloves or ginger

Equipment

• Heavy broad-bottomed pan or slow cooker
• Food mill or sieve
• Measuring cup
• Clean containers

Method

1. Cook the prepared crab apples with the water or juice until completely tender, stirring often enough to prevent scorching.
2. Push the soft fruit through a food mill or sieve to make a smooth pulp, then measure the pulp.
3. Add sugar within the source's range of ¼–½ cup per cup of pulp and season with cinnamon or other spices to taste.
4. Cook gently, stirring regularly, until the butter is glossy, thick and holds its shape without a rim of liquid separating on a cold plate.
5. For the simplest home-storage route, cool and refrigerate or freeze in clean containers.