I am a little early in posting this recipe, as we are a long way away from crab apple season in England. There is a reason. All will become clear in the next post.
A crab apple is a small apple that looks not unlike a large rosehip. From the colour you might think they would be sweet, in fact they have a sour and tart taste and, are not known for their eating quality. They are though, a wonderful producer of jellies mainly because of their high pectin content. They also make delicious wine – but that’s another post. If you don’t have enough for a jelly they can be roasted and served with meat.
The crab apple has been around for many years, mentioned by William Shakespeare and attached to legend. Throw their pips into the fire whilst saying the name of your true love and if the pips explode then your love is true. Best done without your husband present – just in case! The sport of gurning (extreme pulling of face) originates from when the Lord of the Manor gave crab apples to the poor of the village. The faces they pulled when biting into the sharp little apple then turned into a competition on who could pull the ugliest of faces. This tradition is still kept alive today at the Egremont Crab Fair which began in 1267 in Cumbria, England.
For me, one of the nicest preserves to make is Chilli Crab Apple Jelly, mainly because of the beautiful clear golden elixir and delicate flavour that the crab apples produce. The chillis adding a kick which brightens up the recipe.
A worthwhile quantity to use is 4lbs of crab apples, which is what I have used in the recipe below. There is no reason why you can’t make less or more as again there is a mathematical formula to this recipe. After simmering the apples and straining them it’s the amount of liquid produced that dictates the amount of sugar used.
This recipe is for chilli crab apple jelly but there is no reason why you can’t substitute that for other spices. The heat of the jelly is again down to your personal taste. The quantities I have given here are for a light kick of chilli. I think the secret is to allow the delicate taste of the crab apple to come through without killing it off with too much chilli.
Chilli Crab Apple Jelly
Ingredients
4 lbs Crab apples
Sugar – granulated or caster
3 Chillies – seeds left in and chopped.
(How much heat you want is controlled by how many chillies you put in and the type of chilli).
Water
Method
Wash the crab apples and top and tail. Cut each apple into four (no need to core) and put in a large pan along with the chopped chillies.
Add enough water to just cover the apples and cook gently for about 45mins/1 hour with the lid on. They are ready when the apples are at the mushy stage. Strain, using a jelly bag or a piece of muslin placed over a sieve. Leave for a couple of hours or more so that all the liquid gets a chance to drip through.
Before placing the strained liquid into a clean pan measure the amount. You will need 1 lb of sugar for each pint of liquid.
If there is a fair amount of apple mash left in the jelly bag, returned it to the preserving pan, adding a little water and reheated it for a further half hour. Strain this again using either a jelly bag or muslin. Then again measure the quantity of liquid adding the required addition of sugar to the main batch.
Gently heat the liquid with the sugar making sure to keep stirring the sugar until it dissolves in the pan. When the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat up, to bring the jelly to a boil.
When the jelly has started to boil it will produce a scum on the surface, remove any that appears – there will be plenty! Keep skimming, as the less scum there is the clearer the jelly.
At this point use a jam thermometer; you need the liquid to reach ‘ jam’ temperature. The thermometer is not essential but is very useful. Alternatively, when you think the jelly is reaching setting point take a small saucer and pop it in the freezer to cool. Remove from the freezer and put a little of the jelly onto the plate and leave to cool (you can put it in the fridge for a couple of minutes) and then push your finger against the jam. If there is a skin which forms a wrinkle when pushed then the jam is ready.
Set aside for ten minutes for the jelly to cool slightly and then pour into warm sterilised jars and seal.
Do not use a wax disc and a screw top lid. The wax disc stops the twist top from forming a seal. If using a wax seal then cover with cellophane and secure with a rubber band.
To sterilise the jars wash them in hot soapy water and rinse. Place on a baking tray and put into a warm oven Gas mark 3/325F/160C and leave for 10/15 minutes. Carefully take out and use.
Remember to label and date. I have learned this to my cost. You think you will remember but trust me you won’t.
Maria Dernikos 
Looks wonderful! We have crab apples all around our summer house, but normally we have no idea what to do with them. Perhaps we’ll try jelly this year!
Do try Eliza it really is easy and lasts for ages.
Love the traditions and stories. 🙂
I do too. I think sometimes we are so busy chasing the future we forget about the past. There again I don’t think I would fancy being the poor villager being fobbed off with sharp crab apples. But they say a few crab apples helps with cider making. So perhaps not all bad.
No I wouldn’t want it to be a staple of my diet. My lips would be constantly pursed!
Beautiful shot of the jelly. I know to my cost about the date labeling.
Best,
Conor
I was a slow learner on the date labeling but I have final got the message now!
A perfect looking crab apple jelly – takes me back to my childhood, my mum made some every year. Especially like the addition of chilli, coincidentally, my mum is also queen of the hottest chilli jam I’ve tasted! I usually make rowan and apple as crab apples are hard for me to come by these days (everyone seemed to have them growing in their gardens in the 1980’s). Thanks.
Thank you. They do make wonderful jellies I don’t know why they are not sold more widely. Even my old fashioned local greengrocers doesn’t sell them. Maybe now as more people has a greater interest in food they might get a bigger following.
This post was all new information to me and an education. I had never heard of crab apples. Based on what I read, is it something like quince which is only good as jam or when cooked with meat, as you described this fruit?
Yes Fae. Crab apples have only any real value in jellies or cooked. They were also added to cider to improve the taste. A little like rose hips they are fiddly to prepare so over the years they have gone out of fashion but I think more and more people are coming back to the kitchen and enjoying the preparing of food rather than just the eating.
I’ve heard of crab apples being used in recipes but this is the first I’ve seen it done. Great idea combining it with chilis for a bit of a kick. That opening photo, Maria, is thing of beauty. Very nicely done. I’m going to pin this recipe for the Fall. If I see crabapples at the farmers market I may give this a try. Thanks!
Thank John for both the compliment and the pin. The only real pain is topping and tailing them, but sit down put the radio on and its soon over. Everyone I have given jars to have asked for more. It’s been a surprise success. As you saw from the recipe you can adapt it to how every many crab apples you can get your hands on.
How beautiful! Love the part about throwing the pips into fire to test your true love. If i ever find some I’d like to try it roasted with meat as you suggest and to make this gorgeous jelly as well.
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I wish we were neighbors as I have two crab apples in our apple orchard. I give the crab apples away to anyone wanting to make jelly each fall.
Wouldn’t that be wonderful. If I lived next door you would have a supply of jelly. Don’t you fancy making jelly yourself?
Didn’t know anything about crab apples before your post, Maria. I really enjoyed reading about the legend and the hystory. I’m sure the fair must be a lot of fun. I’ll look for these little wonders in the local markets.
They are worth looking out for. I did do a quick google and crab apples exist in the United States.
Oh, how appropriate! I have been wanting to make crab apple jelly. Never had it but comes highly recommended. The farmers’ markets are full of them and I’ve been meaning to look for a recipe. The addition of chilli sounds warm and wonderful!
The chilli not only flavours the crab apple but adds a really beautiful colour to the jelly. I think of all my preserves this has to be my favourite and most popular.
It’s great you’ve shared this recipe. I make it whenever I can get hold of crab apples, as the colour is wonderful and the taste divine. We use it on everything from breakfast toast to a relish with bread and cheese
Thank you Margaret. I agree with you about spreading it on everything. I made 21 jars this year and have been very mean in giving any away. I feel that even with the 19 I have left it might not just be enough until next year!
[…] We eat them hot and any left over get put in the fridge for the following day. We enjoy them with crab apple chilli jelly but they can also be eaten with […]
Beautiful jelly and the color is just stunning with the hint of chilly and the after ‘kick’ on the palette… bought from a craft-fare in Christchurch last year! I’m going to make it as it is no longer available. Thanks for your recipe. From the recipe i was described I think it is your recipe!
It is a beautiful jelly, one of my favourites. I do hope my recipe lives up to the one you bought in Christchurch.
Hi Maria, is there enough pectin left in the crab apples for the second cook, have never heard of doing this but keen to try as I’ve just opened my jelly bag and have so much pulp left. But would hate to spoil my beautiful liquid…thanks Jill
I completely understand your concerns about ruining your beautiful liquid. What you could do is use the left over pulp to make a second batch and strain it into a fresh bowl/container. If you are happy with the colour then you can add it. I have found its fine but…of course crab apples come in different varieties – if this is your first attempt perhaps stick with what you have and give the second cook a go next time.