How do you make apple jelly from crab apples?
Directions
- 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.
- Strain the apples and juice through 2 or 3 layers of cheese cloth.
- Pour the jelly into sterile small decorative jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.
Which crab apples are best for jelly?
You can use any crab apple, but among the best are: Malus ‘Harry Baker’, Malus Jelly King (=’Mattfru’), Malus ‘Dartmouth’, Malus ‘John Downie’ and Malus x robusta ‘Dolgo’.
Why isn’t my crab apple jelly setting?
What to do if your jelly didn’t set. It happens and it can happen for any number of reasons. If you have left your jelly out for 24 hours and it didn’t set, simply dump the contents back in to your pot and re-boil it until it sets (use a thermometer to cook to 220° F. or until it passes the wrinkle test, as above.
Can ornamental crabapples be used for jelly?
You bet! Through ornamental trees are selected for their landscaping characteristics rather than for the quality of their fruit, they are absolutely safe to eat, and in your case, to use in making jelly. In fact crabapple juice, being high in pectin (not to mention a beautiful color!), usually produces great jelly!
How do you make crab apple jelly without pectin?
Attach the candy thermometer to a large saucepan, and pour 4 cups of crabapple juice into the pan. Add the sugar, and stir to dissolve. Bring the juice to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until jelly stage. Skim off any foam that forms.
Why is my crab apple jelly cloudy?
Your Jelly is Cloudy! You could have used under-ripe fruit that released starch, turning the jelly cloudy. For some jellies, some recipes want you to strain it through a jelly bag, cheesecloth, or muslin cloth. If you squeezed it instead of waiting for it to drain, a cloudy look can appear.
Can you eat crab apples off the tree?
Some crab apples were bred for their beautiful flowers, while others were bred for their not-so-tasty but very decorative fruits. Still, if you want to give them a try, there are many ways to enjoy them, such as raw, fresh off the tree, or tossed into salads or smoothies.
Can you freeze crab apples?
Fruit may be frozen in a flattened shape to fit into an unbaked pie shell or cobbler dish. Before freezing, fit the plastic bag of prepared crabapples into the pie plate or dish, freeze, then remove plate or dish and store crabapples in freezer.
Does lemon juice thicken jam?
Without a little help, the pectin strands can’t come together to form a network that will set your batch of jam — that’s where the lemon juice comes into play.
How ripe should crabapples be for jelly?
Select firm crabapples with no signs of insect or worm damage. Unripe fruit has more pectin than ripe fruit, but ripe fruit has more developed flavor. So try to mix about 75% ripe fruit with 25% under ripe fruit. You can tell if an apple is ripe by cutting it open and looking at the seeds.
How can you tell if a crab apple is edible?
A common misconception is that crab apples are toxic. This is not the case, as long as you don’t eat the core and seeds, just like with bigger apples, they’re perfectly edible. A good rule of thumb is that if the fruit is less than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, it’s considered a crab apple.
How long does it take crab apple jelly to set?
Allow the crabapples to strain for at least 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. If you want clear jelly, do not squeeze the bag. I care more for flavor rather than appearance, so I often give the bag a squeeze to press out all the flavorful juice. Discard solids.