Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Crabapple Jelly

The other day I found myself parked beside this beautiful tree admiring its huge apples and was overcome with appreciation for this gift of nature. As they weren't already picked and frost was on its way, I decided to ask permission to pick them. The lady I spoke with seemed relieved I would be taking them off her hands as "nobody uses them anymore".


These are some bad ass crabapples!


Crabapple jelly is delicious. It really truly is. I didn't much care for jams/jellies until I started making my own and controlling the amount of sugar added. 'Bernardin No Sugar Needed' is the best pectin if you are looking for the least amount of sugar. I use 3/4 cup of honey for 6 jars of jam. Regular pectin calls for 7 1/2 cups of sugar and you don't get the option of substituting with honey. The recipe for the jelly is right in the box.

The left over strained crabapples were mixed with ginger ale and served to the family. The kids loved it. I took special delight in telling them they were drinking the crabapples hand picked by their mother from a stranger's tree. If you have teenage daughters you know how well this went over.

One of the jars was given to the kind lady who agreed to let me have the apples, and another was given to the daughter of an eldery woman who came out to talk with me as I was picking them. She never noticed apples on the tree before. I gave her a jar so she wouldn't forget.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 21, 2011 at 5:24 PM

    Hey cool! I just noticed I'm on your blog roll. Thanks so much!

    I love finding hidden gems that are 1. Free and 2. Help you meet other people. I was told about some rosehips that aren't being used and I may try my hand at rosehip jelly, something I've always wanted to try.

    You mentioned controlling sugar - have you ever heard/used/tried Pomona's Pectin? I use it frequently, as I can substitute sugar for honey/maple syrup/fruit juice and still get a jell. Just a thought.

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  2. GailSeptember 23, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    I found your blog while searching for a canning recipe and find it a useful resource.

    The regular stores I go to only seem to stock Bernardin. However, there is another brand I once spotted at an organic store and I'll go back to see if it is Pamona's. I would definitely like to try it. Thanks for the tip!

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  3. TraceySeptember 25, 2011 at 5:44 PM

    I loved this sotry and I love crabapples. We buy a crabapple jelly made by Mennonites in BC..."The Log Barn". MMM MMM MMM.

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