You've probably heard of it before, but you didn't really know what it was. The crab apple is not an apple that is made of wood and, let's say, serves as a decoration. It is actually a wild apple that is ancient and tastes particularly good to many. If you are now curious, you can find out a lot of useful and interesting things about the crab apple plant in our article.
What is a Crabapple?
As already mentioned, the crab apple is a fruit that is visually different from the appleFruit from the gardenor the cultivated apple hardly differs. Its height can vary and is between 3 and 10 meters. The special thing about it is that it is ancient and is therefore one of the oldest apple varieties ever. It is, so to speak, the original form of our modern eating apple and has existed since 5000 BC. Not only the Romans but also the Greeks made wine from the crab apple. Nevertheless, the plant species is now endangered. However, if you want to do something about it, you can easily plant a wild apple in the form of a bush in your garden. They are offered in tree nurseries.
The name is undoubtedly also interesting. The crab apples owe this to their woody pulp when raw. The shell is hard and must first be cracked to be eaten raw. But the wood from the crab apple tree is also very hard. It may differ in color. There are both reddish-white and reddish-brown specimens.
Why is the wild apple so endangered?
If the wild apple is unripe, it has a sour taste. The riper it is, the sweeter it becomes. But why is it so endangered? The reason for this is, on the one hand, that the fruit is less edible when raw. Here the crab apple is similar to the quince. In addition, the fruits are very small and reach a size of 2 to 4 cm. Many people are also of the opinion that it is simply not worth planting the tree in the garden because you cannot expect a rich harvest. However, who is in the springenjoy beautiful flowersIf you want to, feel free to consider the wild apple.
ValuableNutrients and tips for preparation
If the raw apple is inedible, what should you do with it? As already mentioned, the same procedure can be used here as with the quince. You simply cut the fruit into small pieces and then cook it including the core. You can now enjoy it to the fullest. The wild apples should be prepared or consumed as soon as possible after the harvest.
And you're actually doing something good for your body, so the fruit is for youhealthy eatingis great. In addition to the valuable vitamins A, B and C, the wild fruit also contains fruit acids and sugars, tannins and trace elements, as well as the fiber pectin in large quantities. This is why the crab apple is so suitable as a base ingredient for jams or jellies. The apples are also often used to make tea, juice or syrup and, last but not least, compote. Two recipes for jelly to thicken jams. can be found below. The only disadvantage is that all of these products require a relatively large number of apples because they are so small. If you can't get that many apples, you can combine them with other types of fruit and in this way get the necessary amount for the respective recipe. This is a common method, especially with jams. Of course, other types of apples are particularly suitable, but also other wild fruits. Why not experiment with rowan or barberry and create delicious food or drinks.
The fruits stimulate digestion and relieve fever attacks. But if you don't want to go to all the trouble of cooking, you can also use them wonderfully as decoration.
Crab apple jelly without sugar
For 2.5 liters you will need:
- 5 1/2 kg crab apples
- 3 liters of water
- Seyhtuch
After removing any stems and leaves and washing the apples, cut them into small pieces. Coarse pieces are sufficient and the core can also be processed. Then place the apples in a pot and cover with water to cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Then let the resulting juice drain in a damp cheesecloth for 24 hours. Then bring the apple liquid back to the boil and let the whole thing reduce by half. Boil the finished jelly in jars and store for up to a year.
With the help of the so-called pectin test, you can determine whether the liquid has boiled long enough while it is still hot. To do this, simply mix 1 teaspoon of apple pectin with 2 tablespoons of denatured alcohol. This creates lumps. The larger the lump, the more pectin there is and the firmer the jelly will be. If there are a lot of small lumps, you should continue cooking.
Jelly with lavender and sugar
- 900 g crab apples
- 1 3/4 liters of water
- Lavendelzweige
- 900g sugar
- Seyhtuch
Cut apples into pieces and boil in water with two lavender sprigs. Then let the whole thing cook for about an hour with the lid closed. Stir occasionally. Then drain the liquid through cheesecloth as in the first recipe. Several hours should be planned for this. The cloth is not squeezed out because it will then become cloudy.
Place the juice in a measuring cup so that you can measure the correct amount, as 450 g of sugar are required per 600 ml of juice. Then heat the liquid, stirring constantly, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Then let it cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. During this time the liquid gels. Finally, skim off the foam that has formed.
Now all you have to do isPrepare mason jars. You will need one stalk of lavender per jar, which you briefly place in boiling water to sterilize. Then place the stem in a sterilized jar and fill it with jelly. The jars are closed with oil or tracing paper.
