Crab apple recipes
The small, sour fruit of the wild apple tree, crab apples are generally too tart to eat raw. They're more commonly made into a sweet jelly to accompany sweet breads or roasted meats and game and are also used to make crab apple wine. As they’re not grown commercially crab apples are not readily available to buy. You’re more likely to find them at farmers’ markets, farm shops or pick-your-own farms.
Crab apples fall into two camps – the native British ones that are found in country hedgerows and the pretty little ornamental ones that are often found in gardens and parks. Both mature in the autumn and their high pectin content means they are brilliant for making the most stunning pink jelly.
For this recipe you will need 4–5 sterlised jam jars (about 200ml/7fl oz each), refer to the Recipe Tips to learn how to sterilise jam jars.
