Crabapples.

Worth1 · January 29, 2017

Crabapples I remember they had them all over the place in Missouri at my grade school.
I also remember you could get them candied or pickled some way in the store.
What kind were they and does anyone grow them.

Worth

barbamWY · January 29, 2017

Worth,
Whitney is the one we grow here in Wyoming. It ripens about a month before any of my other apples. I don't pickle them, but my Mother and Grandmother did. It has fruits about 3 inches or slightly larger in diameter.
I usually just eat them, but they start turning to mush in a few weeks on the tree. They supposedly make a good pollinator.
Barb

NarnianGarden · January 29, 2017

Love, love them. We have several varieties of various colors and growing habts here in Finland. My fondest childhood memories were of blooming crabapple trees (one tree had delicious fruits, the other one was only pretty).
They are often more cold-resistant than larger fruited Malus trees, and what people don't always know, they can be used to prepare excellent jam and fruit compott. One interesting preserve I made was pickled crabapples in vinegar/sugar, very nice indeed.

Of course these jewels can be used to make apple pie, it's wonderful with a crusty dough. A variety I liked because of it gives such a pretty red color to the filling is called Dolgo (from Russia originally I think).., they grow all over my town thanks to our municipality. (and they're freely available to all residents to enjoy)..
https://www.orangepippintrees.com/tr...ink-glow-dolgo

NarnianGarden · January 29, 2017

http://www.saltspringapplecompany.com/Dolgo-(crab).htm
One more link here. I love the red plum-like look, very pretty.. and the taste, mmm...

Of course, chopping and seeding these fruits is a tedious task, but the flavor is well worth the effort. I no longer leave this out from jam-making process, it gives otherwise boring-looking apple jam a striking color.

PhilaGardener · January 29, 2017

They also make hard cider from many crab apple varieties!

Worth1 · January 29, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

They also make hard cider from many crab apple varieties!

Okay now we're talken.
Worth

MissMoustache · January 30, 2017

We always made crabapple jelly from the juice. That's good too!

Worth1 · January 30, 2017

Just for everyone's information Crabapple Cove Main is the most dangerous place in America.
Seems people are getting killed right and left there.

Remember Murder She Wrote.

Worth

KarenO · January 30, 2017

Crabapples are reliably hardy in the north. One of the few fruit trees I grew up with. Crabapples make the best pie you ever tasted if you are patient enough to core a million of them. and my mom used to can them whole in syrup when I was a child. I still make apple jelly with them too
There are quite a few varieties

KarenO

NarnianGarden · January 30, 2017

Just had some of my canned crabapples this evening. A nice sweet-and-sour treat with rice & veggies. The canning process was succesful, as the fruit tasted just as fresh today as it did in September - only better. (and the variety was actually even not the tastiest sort - I discovered them later..)
WIll repeat next year hopefully!

guruofgardens · January 31, 2017

I'm with MissMoustache and KarenO with making jam/jelly from the crabapples. We have a friend w/a 50-year-old tree that is a heavy producer. He's unable to pick the apples anymore, so we've been taking care of the tree and apples for him. This year we picked 5 buckets, cooked and Squeezo-ed, make 58 quarts for the freezer, gave away all but 10, make lots of crabapple/fruit jams. Looking forward to 2017's production.

NarnianGarden · January 31, 2017

Good for ya!
I still have some frozen slices in my freezing compartment, might take them out soon for pie-making.

All regular apple trees seem to have an occasional Sabbath year when they don't produce that much, but crabapples always have plenty.

Worth1 · January 31, 2017

I bet pickled whole with a ghost pepper cinnamon and sugar in every jar would be good.
Worth

guruofgardens · February 2, 2017

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

I bet pickled whole with a ghost pepper cinnamon and sugar in every jar would be good.
Worth

I bet crabapple jam with pureed ghost peppers and cinnamon hots would be wonderful. I know it is!

Worth1 · February 7, 2017

I wonder if there is a variety that would grow where I live.
Worth

January 29, 2017	#1
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Crabapples. Crabapples I remember they had them all over the place in Missouri at my grade school. I also remember you could get them candied or pickled some way in the store. What kind were they and does anyone grow them. Worth

January 29, 2017	#3
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Love, love them. We have several varieties of various colors and growing habts here in Finland. My fondest childhood memories were of blooming crabapple trees (one tree had delicious fruits, the other one was only pretty). They are often more cold-resistant than larger fruited Malus trees, and what people don't always know, they can be used to prepare excellent jam and fruit compott. One interesting preserve I made was pickled crabapples in vinegar/sugar, very nice indeed. Of course these jewels can be used to make apple pie, it's wonderful with a crusty dough. A variety I liked because of it gives such a pretty red color to the filling is called Dolgo (from Russia originally I think).., they grow all over my town thanks to our municipality. (and they're freely available to all residents to enjoy).. https://www.orangepippintrees.com/tr...ink-glow-dolgo Last edited by NarnianGarden; January 29, 2017 at 03:42 PM.

January 30, 2017	#7
MissMoustache Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Cold hardy zone 4b-5a, Heat zone 4-5, Sunset zone 43 Posts: 228	We always made crabapple jelly from the juice. That's good too! __________________ Books, cats, gardening...life is good! gwendolyninthegarden.blogspot.com

January 29, 2017	#2
barbamWY Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: North West Wyoming Posts: 466	Worth, Whitney is the one we grow here in Wyoming. It ripens about a month before any of my other apples. I don't pickle them, but my Mother and Grandmother did. It has fruits about 3 inches or slightly larger in diameter. I usually just eat them, but they start turning to mush in a few weeks on the tree. They supposedly make a good pollinator. Barb

January 29, 2017	#5
PhilaGardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Near Philadelphia, PA Posts: 1,940	They also make hard cider from many crab apple varieties!

January 30, 2017	#9
KarenO Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Vancouver Island Posts: 5,931	Crabapples are reliably hardy in the north. One of the few fruit trees I grew up with. Crabapples make the best pie you ever tasted if you are patient enough to core a million of them. and my mom used to can them whole in syrup when I was a child. I still make apple jelly with them too There are quite a few varieties KarenO

January 31, 2017	#11
guruofgardens Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2008 Location: zone 5 Colorado Posts: 942	I'm with MissMoustache and KarenO with making jam/jelly from the crabapples. We have a friend w/a 50-year-old tree that is a heavy producer. He's unable to pick the apples anymore, so we've been taking care of the tree and apples for him. This year we picked 5 buckets, cooked and Squeezo-ed, make 58 quarts for the freezer, gave away all but 10, make lots of crabapple/fruit jams. Looking forward to 2017's production.

February 7, 2017	#15
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I wonder if there is a variety that would grow where I live. Worth