Recipes to use crabapples?

**Killearn Kitties** · 09-24-2010, 01:08 PM

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** · 09-24-2010, 01:13 PM

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** · 09-24-2010, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by Karen

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

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.

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

Who knew?

**Randi** · 09-24-2010, 01:32 PM

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** · 09-24-2010, 03:14 PM

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** · 09-24-2010, 04:09 PM

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!