Today, I want to share my latest kitchen adventure with you all – making some delicious desserts using crab apples. It started when I saw these little apples at the local farmer’s market. I grabbed a bunch, not really sure what I’d do with them, but they looked too good to pass up.
First off, I had to deal with preparing the crab apples. Now, let me tell you, coring these tiny things is a real pain. I tried using a small corer, but it was taking forever. So, I switched to just chopping off the sides with a paring knife. It’s not the most efficient way, and you don’t get a lot from each apple, but it’s way faster. And I found out that if you freeze them for a bit, they get softer and sweeter. I just popped them in the freezer for a couple of days after picking.
Making Crab Apple Jelly
After preparing a good amount of crab apples, I decided to make some jelly. I’d read somewhere that crab apples are great for jelly because they have natural pectin. I didn’t have a fancy recipe, I just boiled the cut-up apples with some water until they were soft. Then, I strained the juice through a cheesecloth – that took a while, but it was kind of satisfying to watch.
Next, I mixed the juice with sugar. I didn’t measure, just added sugar until it tasted right – sweet but still a bit tart. Then I boiled it up until it got thick. To test if it was ready, I used the old spoon trick – dip a cold spoon in, and if it coats the spoon, it’s done. Once it was ready, I poured the jelly into jars. I didn’t bother with canning, I just stuck them in the freezer. It’s easier and works just as well.
Baking a Crab Apple Crisp
- After the jelly, I thought, why not try baking? I found a simple recipe for apple crisp online and decided to give it a go with my crab apples. I mixed the cut apples with a bit of sugar, cinnamon, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- For the topping, I just threw together some flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter. I’m not much of a baker, but this was easy enough. I crumbled the topping over the apples in a baking dish and popped it in the oven.
- The smell that filled my kitchen was amazing – warm and cinnamon. It took about 40 minutes to bake, and I let it cool a bit before digging in.
It turned out pretty good! The tartness of the crab apples went really well with the sweet, crunchy topping.
Experimenting with Spiced Crab Apples
I also tried something a bit different – spiced crab apples. I simmered some whole crab apples in a pot with water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and a few cloves. The idea was to get them infused with all those warm spices. It took some time for the apples to soften, but the wait was worth it. They ended up tasting like a mix of apple pie and Christmas. These were great on their own, but I bet they’d be awesome with some vanilla ice cream.
So, that was my crab apple adventure. It was a lot of trial and error, but I ended up with some tasty treats. If you ever find yourself with a bunch of crab apples, don’t be afraid to get creative in the kitchen. You might just surprise yourself with what you can make!
