Crabapple Juice Recipes

MARY WYNNE'S CRABAPPLE JELLY

Steps:

• Remove stems and blossom ends from crabapples, and cut into quarters. Place them in a large stainless steel or other non-reactive pot or saucepan. Add enough water to be able to see, but no so much that the crabapples are floating. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. The apples should soften and change color.
• Strain the apples and juice through 2 or 3 layers of cheese cloth. You should have at least 4 cups of juice. Discard pulp, and pour the juice back into the pan. Bring to a simmer, and let cook for 10 minutes. Skim off any foam that comes to the top. Next, stir in the sugar until completely dissolved. Continue cooking at a low boil until the temperature reaches 220 to 222 degrees F (108 to 110 C). Remove from heat.
• Pour the jelly into sterile small decorative jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a hot water bath to seal.

CRABAPPLE JUICE

Steps:

• Clean the crabapples. I usually fill the sink with cold water and pour the apples in then give them a good swish.
• Boil the water.
• Pour the apples into as many containers you need making sure that each pot/pail is just over half full.
• Add the creme of tartar to the boiling water and dissolve.
• Pour the water into each container to fill.
• Let stand 24 hours.
• Drain through the jelly bag.
• Discard apples.
• I can the juice but it can be stored in the freezer too.
• To can, sterilize the jars and lids.
• Boil the juice and fill sterilized jars.
• Make sure the lids pop as they cool as evidence of a good seal.

CRAB APPLE JELLY

Steps:

• Prepare your apples by washing, removing the stems and cutting off the blossom ends. You can leave whole or cut in half. If your apples come from a wild tree (ie. not sprayed), you may want to cut in half to make sure the inside is good. That's what I did.
• Place prepared apples into a large stock pot and add water, just until it just peeks through the top of the apples (if any of your apples are floating, you've got too much). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, without stirring, until apples are softened, 10-15 minutes.
• While fruit is simmering, place a large colander over a bowl and line with tripled-up cheesecloth, a piece of muslin or a cotton pillow case.
• When fruit is tender, pour into prepared colander and leave to drain for 2-3 hours. RESIST THE URGE TO POKE, PRESS OR SQUEEZE the pulp to get more juice. It will make for a cloudy jelly. Just let gravity do it's work and discard the pulp when draining stops.
• Measure out the amount of juice and make note of how many cups of juice you have (I got 3 cups of juice out of this basket of apples). Add the juice to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring, for about 20 minutes, skimming off any foam, as necessary.
• Meanwhile, measure out sugar. You'll need 3/4 cup of sugar for every cup of apple juice that you had. (So if you had 4 cups of juice, you'll need 3 cups of sugar). Place the sugar in a stainless steel or oven-proof bowl (or on a baking sheet, alternately) and pop into a 300° oven anywhere from 5-15 minutes, stirring it around a couple of times (time in the oven will vary depending on how much sugar/oven etc., so WATCH CLOSELY. It should be hot to the touch, but not so hot it starts to melt around the edges.).
• When sugar is hot, remove from oven. Remove pot with apple juice from the heat. Stir in the hot sugar just until it is dissolved. Place the pot back on the heat and WITHOUT STIRRING, boil for 5-8 minutes, until jelly reaches 220° on a thermometer or passes the cold plate test*.
• Ladle jelly into clean jars and leave with lids off until almost cool (without moving jars around). When jelly is almost cool, seal with lids. Let stand in a sunny window, undisturbed for 24 hrs. Wax and store.

CRAB-APPLE JELLY

Steps:

• Wash and quarter apples; place in a 6-quart saucepan. Add 6 cups water; place over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cook until very soft, 45 to 60 minutes; remove from heat. Pour into a bowl through a fine mesh strainer lined with two layers of damp cheesecloth. Gather cheesecloth; tie into a bundle. Suspend from a wooden-spoon handle set over bowl; drain, without pressing solids, 1 hour, to yield about 4 cups juice.
• Place juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes; skim foam. Add sugar; stir to dissolve. Clip on a candy thermometer; cook until the temperature reaches 220 degrees, skimming foam. Pour into jars, let cool, and keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.

HOMEMADE CRABAPPLE SYRUP - NO ADDED PECTIN

Steps:

• Rinse the crabapples with water (make sure they are not going rotten or have any worms) and start running them through your electric juicer. The juicer will catch all of the stems and apple seeds. You will need to clean the filter of your juicer periodically as it gets plugged up.
• First, rinse the crabapples with water, cut out any bad spots, and put them into a very large pot. You can leave them whole with the stems on.
• Add just enough water to cover the apples, then bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, just until the crabapples are soft enough to mash with a potato masher. Then turn off the heat and let the crabapples cool slightly. Do not overcook.
• When you have all of your juice made, pour it through a double layer of cheesecloth or a clean dish towel over a bowl and let the juice drain. Don't squeeze the cloth as the juice is draining or your syrup might get cloudy. This will catch any foaminess that you accumulated in your juice. You will end up with beautiful, clear juice. This may take a while, don't rush it.
• Prepare your jars and lids for canning by washing in warm, soapy water and rinsing thoroughly, or running them through a cycle in your dishwasher. Place the rack inside your hot water canner, set jars in the canner, add water and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize. Warm your lids in a small pot over low heat. Keep jars and lids warm until ready to use. Do not boil the lids.
• Next, measure your strained juice and put it in a large pot. For every cup of juice, add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cane sugar. This will depend on your own personal tastes. We like to add the least amount of sugar as possible, and our crabapples tend to be pretty sweet. You can always add more sugar, so start on the lower end.
• Whisk the cane sugar and juice together over medium heat until the cane sugar is dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Spread an old kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove heated jars from the canner, drain, and line them up on the towel. Use a funnel and ladle and add the crabapple syrup to warm jars, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe the rims with a clean cloth. Use your magnetic lid lifter to lift lids out of the warm water, center the lid on the jar, and screw on the band until it is fingertip tight. Do not overtighten.
• Using the jar lifter, place jars carefully into the canner leaving space between them. You do not want them to be touching. When the jars are all in the canner, add more boiling water so the water level is at least one inch above the jar tops. I boil water in my kettle and have it ready to go for this reason. Pour the water around the jars and not directly onto them.
• Cover the canner with the lid and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water boils, continue boiling for 10 minutes. When the processing time is complete, turn off the heat.
• Place an old kitchen towel on your counter to place your hot jars on. They cannot be moved for about 24 hours, so make sure it is in a spot where they won't be disturbed. Remove the lid of the canner by tilting the lid away from you so that steam does not burn you. Use a jar lifter to lift jars carefully from the canner and place the jars on the towel.
• Allow the jars to cool for 12 to 24-hours. When you hear the "ping" or "pop" you know that your jars are sealing. I usually do a little happy dance at this point.
• Let the water in the canner cool completely before emptying it.
• After about 12 to 24 hours, check the jars to see if the lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop back. If the lid bends up and down, it did not seal. Place that jar in the fridge and use it up first.
• Wipe the outside of the jars with a clean cloth to remove any sticky residue. Label and date your jars. Store your lovely homemade crabapple syrup in a cool, dark place and use it within 12 months.
• If you want to store the syrup in the fridge, just let the syrup cool completely and pour the cooled syrup into bottles or sterilized canning jars and then store it in the fridge. The syrup will keep in the fridge for several months.
• Enjoy!