Recipes to use crabapples?

[Killearn Kitties]

Our little crabapple tree has surpassed itself this year and I would like to do something with the crop. The only thing I can think of is crabapple jelly though. I just made a batch of bramble jelly and would rather do something different with the crabapples if possible, but what?

I googled to see if I could find any good recipes. I did see a few recipes, but mainly people just posting the same recipes to different sites, without ever saying they had made the stuff or what it was like. I didn't really fancy any of them anyway.

So, do PTers have any good crabapple ideas? Or even know if you can substitute them for regular apples?

[Karen]

You can substitute them for regular apples IF you compensate with enough sugar or honey to counteract the sourness. And of course they are a pain in the next to peel because they are so small. Growing up, we just made jelly with them, but you can use the crab apple jelly as a base and layer in other flavors, too - mint, herbs, other fruit ... quince ...

The best use for crab apples was always chucking them at one's brothers ... or neighbors ...

[Freedom]

The best use for crab apples was always chucking them at one's brothers ... or neighbors ... :D

I didn't know you COULD eat them! We had one crabapple tree in the yard growing up, and mom always told us not to eat those. :eek:

I did the Google search just now too. Crabapple bread and chutney both sounded good.

Who knew? ;)

[Randi]

Karen, I don't even know what they look like, so not much help here, but as Freedom posted, crabapple bread and chutney does sound good. :)

[lvpets2002]

:) Yup I always grew up with a CrabApple Tree.. Yes the only thing we ever did with them was to make jelly.. And chunk a few at the brothers too..

[Killearn Kitties]

Hmm, so the only alternative to missiles seems to be jelly then?

I thought that the lack of tasty-looking other recipes maybe meant that jelly really is the best thing to do with crabapples. I had noticed that crabapple jelly could be infused with other herbs as Karen said, and that sounded good.

I had been thinking of making chutney, but I didn't think the recipes online sounded any good. I will have a look at the bread recipe again though, before making more jelly!

[Lilith Cherry]

This recipe for chutney is delicious and you don't even have to cook it! I made some with small mishapen apples from my garden and it tastes soo good. I am saving some for Christmas gifts!

I added some ginger to some of it which gives it a nice zing too!

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/no-cook-apple-date-and-onion-recipe-79

[Killearn Kitties]

That sounds nice Lilith - a bit different with the dates too. I think I will try that.
Thanks very much, and I will let you know how it turns out. :)

[kuhio98]

We used to make lots of applesauce out of ours.
I don't really like sweets, so I love the tartness of the crabapples.

Then you can use the applesauce to make cakes, or add to pies, or whatever. I've seen low fat recipies that call for substituting applesauce for oils. Applesauce adds moistness without the saturated fats.

[sasvermont]

I have two FULL trees behind my house right now. The orchard is fulling picked and they left two trees of crab apples for some odd reason. Maybe it just wasn't worth wasting their time with such little ones.

I will have to try a couple of the recipes. Thanks.

I, too, used them as missiles when we were youngsters. Ouch, they hurt!

[Killearn Kitties]

I never really thought about making cakes etc with crabapples. They are just so small that it seemed really fiddly to do very much except jelly. Also my mum has an apple tree in her garden and I always get loads of them to use. I did make jelly in the end with the crabapples and it tastes good. It is a lovely pink shade too. Very pretty.

I am making the chutney recipe that Lilith posted with apples from my mum. I suppose I should have anticipated that having raw onion and vinegar sitting in the kitchen for three days would have made the house stink, but it didn't occur to me. Thank goodness it gets bottled tonight!

[Karen]

Excellent, glad the jelly is pretty as well as tasty! Glad to hear god reports.