Crabapples

[lemonzest]

Any uses for these? They taste okay enough, but not so delicious that I want to eat a whole tree full. Can I make pie or something? Bake 'em?

 

[zigs]

Crab Apple wine ? You'd need pectolayse to stop it setting.

Crab Apple jelly is nice (by jelly in the uk we mean a clear set jelly, not a jam)

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

Crab apple jelly is the best. My grandmother used to make it, and it is the only jelly that I really like. It's got to have lots of cinnamon, and it makes a pretty pink jelly.

 

[zigs]

Made some Crab apple & Medlar jelly a few years back, Daughter #1 said it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

 

[yellowbird]

What do crab apples taste like? I've seriously never had one.

 

[zigs]

Very tart, acidic, but nice too. You wouldn't want to go eating them but they clean your teeth, a bit like sloes.

 

[lemonzest]

Made some Crab apple & Medlar jelly a few years back, Daughter #1 said it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

Huh, I had to google what medlar was. I have never even heard of them before. It's so weird that something once so popular can just kind of vanish from the general public consciousness.

 

[zigs]

They're not very common, never found one in the wild, but there's one in the communal forest garden near me.

They're inedible until they've "Bletted", thats softened by being frosted.

Picked a bag of Medlars and Apples last year but left the bag outside overnight. When I checked it the next day, the apples were still there, but the rats had pinched all the Medlars.

 

[lemonzest]

Cool, I can see why they became less popular (the bletting process) but I wanna try one now!

 

[zigs]

We get our first frosts soon, i'll scan one & pm it to you to try