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[Cinnamon]

My tree is heaving with fruits this year,and I am once again a bit stuck as to what to do with them all

 

I don't like Crab Apple Jelly much,& am still wading through last years brandy & vodka.

 

I sold some juniper,gin & thyme jelly at work the other week, so figure that may be worth a try - any other ideas what I can do with my crop this year?

[Snowy]

Was it just crabapple on it's own jelly that you tried and didn't like, or is it any jellies? I've made crabapple and rosehip which tastes amazing!

[Christian]

Hot foot it down the A303 to me?

 

Crab apples are great for jam/jellies, so try a few more unusual combinations? The juniper, gin and thyme sounds great!

 

They are so high in pectin, you could boil them up and keep the juice in the freezer for batches of jam later in the year.

[kinsk]

I made crab apple and chilli jelly last year which was lovely, but still jelly!

[Cinnamon]

The one I made last year was a spiced crab apple,but even though we thought it was OK, we just didn't use it all up

 

I am going to try the juniper & gin one,with the thinking that adding gin to anything will improve it

 

edit: on closer inspection ,its actually Rosemary,Juniper & Gin.

[The Dogmother]

I always make crab apple and clove jelly as it's a favourite here. I also keep some pulp in the freezer for setting other jams and jellies.

[Cinnamon]

In the end I made a basic jelly ,then added heaps of red chilies from the greenhouse.

It is devillishly hot,very red and festive,and rather good to eat in small amounts

[iar fach goch]

OH has just got excited - chilli and crab apple jelly! - please can someone provide foolproof instructions - he's going to attempt it himself (this is the man whose cooking skills are limited to cheese on toast or frozen pizza!).

[Cinnamon]

Tis easy.

Get the River Cottage Preserves book & follow the instructions for the herb jellies,using Crabs rather than Cooking Apples.

Once you have the strained juice with sugar added,add as many finely sliced red Chillies as you dare,boil it until it reaches setting point,then jar up as normal.

The book is invaluable,& will tell you all about how to reach setting point,how to sterilize jars & so forth too.

[..lay a little egg for me]

We have several crab apple trees hereabouts and I've never used them for anything, being ignorant of their uses. This thread persuades me I should have a go, but I have some (probably stupid) questions:

 

Can you use any crab apples or are there specific varieties? We have two types of small green ones and some small red ones. How much pulp should one add to substitute for pectin in, say, blackberry jam?

 

Mind you before I start picking crab apples, I need to pick the apples and pears that are falling fast just now, so do the crab apples have to be particularly ripe/unripe to be best in jam?

[The Dogmother]

If you mix the two types, you'll get a lovely coloured jelly

 

I always pop a couple of chopped up crabbies in the strainer ball and into soft fruit jams to help them set, but you might find it easier to buy jam sugar, which already has pectin added. Use a pound per pint of liquid if making jellies or a pound per pound of fruit is making jam.

[Madchook]

I made a version of hedgerow jelly a couple of days ago - it is meant to be 1lb each of crabs, blackberries,elderberries and 8oz sloes - but my blackberries went manky before i did it and I couldn't be bothered to go looking for sloes so used just over a lb of crabs, elderberries and as many rosehips as I could find in the garden and it is fantastic! It tastes really fruity/jammy but will be fab on cold meats too. I am so sold on using crabapples to set stuff, it was the easiest thing I have ever made in that respect!