Crab apple jelly

Use the crab apples from the garden - they're not readily available commercially - to make this delicious recipe

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4
 stars 5 ratings 4

Recipe by Le Tardis

Member

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 6 jars

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Plus time to strain overnight.

Method

  1. Wash the apples, removing any bruised fruit. Put in a saucepan, fill with water to just cover the apples.
  2. Bring to the boil and simmer until the fruit is soft (about 30 minutes).
  3. Pour the pulp into a jelly bag or several layers of muslin and let drip overnight into a pan. Do NOT squeeze the bag or it will make the juice cloudy.
  4. The next day, measure the juice, and add sugar in the ratio of 10 parts juice to 7 of sugar. Add some lemon juice, then bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
  5. Keep at a rolling boil for 40 minutes, skimming off the froth. To test the set, chill a dessertspoon in the refrigerator.
  6. When the jelly is set, it will solidify on the back of the spoon. Pour into warm, sterilised preserving jars and tightly seal while still slightly warm. Store in a cool dark place.
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Latest comments and suggestions

  • 15 September 2008

    Le Tardis commented on this recipe

    Using John Downie crab apples gives

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  • 01 October 2008

    Le Tardis rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • 22 September 2010

    debikg77 commented on this recipe

    good recipe but stolen word for word from the waitrose website

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  • 23 September 2010

    Biro rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I ended up with too much liquid so adding the sugar was a bit of a guess. If I added the 10:7 ratio I'd have needed about 3kg. I put about 900g in and reduced it until it began to set. It turned out great, mine is very strong and only needs a thin layer on your toast.

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  • 04 November 2010

    Betsi rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    The jelly was very easy to make and tastes pretty good. I followed the recipe exactly and put in the 10:7 sugar ratio which has made the jelly too sweet. I will add less sugar in future.

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  • 25 August 2011

    Georgie rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Yes, it is the Waitrose receipe, but I always check the BBC Good Food site as I find the comments so helpful, so here goes. One of my crab apple trees was loaded with fruit, so I thought I would try C. A. J. to include in my Christmas present home-made-goodie-bag presents. I weighed 4kg of fruit & duly chopped & cooked. The fruit had turned to a wonderful shade of yellow. I had to strain in 2 batches as there was too much fruit for my improvised jelly bag. The juice from the yellow fruit was a very pretty pink! When I measured it, I had 8 pints. I thought 2lb of sugar (sorry, I am old enough to work in imperial) would be insufficient, so I added about 5lb. I had to boil for quite a long time to achieve a set - about 2hrs, but wow, what amazing stuff! The colour is s deep pink, clear as the Ionian sea, and I filled 7 large jars and 6 smaller ones.

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  • 04 September 2011

    Granny Jan commented on this recipe

    I followed this recipe only the other day the result of which (6) jars of the most wonderful crab apple jelly (and this from only two and a half kilos of fruit). However instead of using muslin - which I did not have - I used a 'breathable' bread bag. I make my own bread and always keep a packet of these in the cupboard but additionally, if you buy a store's own cooked bread, they will usually come in one of these thus no need to purchase additional bags! An excellent way of straining the apples.

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  • 20 September 2011

    PandS commented on this recipe

    Just completed 3 batches made from an ornamental (yellow) CA tree. Lovely taste. In haste downloaded an american recipe which measured the filtered juice to sugar by cups in the ratio 1:0.75 with no lemon juice. Very easy! To see end product:- http://s331.photobucket.com/albums/l451/HarbourG/?action=view&current=IMG_5354gh.jpg http://s331.photobucket.com/albums/l451/HarbourG/?action=view&current=IMG_5351gh.jpg

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  • 25 September 2011

    Frank commented on this recipe

    Could anyone tell me how long would the Crab Apple jelly keep for, and pantry or refrigerated? Thanks in advance :)

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  • Binder photo May

    08 October 2011

    May commented on this recipe

    Crab Apple Jelly will keep very well in the pantry/ cupboard, a cool, dark place preferred. I have kept it up 1 Year, I make a batch each year and traditionly, as my parents and grandparents have, use it with roast chicken / turkey instead of red current and cranberry jelly which I would have to buy. I also find my granchildren love it on toast.

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  • 06 November 2011

    Annie commented on this recipe

    This Crab Apple Jelly was easily made but I think there may have been an error in the sugar quantities. I added 3kg of sugar for 5kg of apples. However, the result was delicious and a beautiful clear pink colour, which was amazing as I used yellow crab apples!

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  • Binder photo jan

    21 November 2011

    jan commented on this recipe

    I have just been given an enormous box of crab apples. Do I have to take all the stems off, and they are so tiny do I really have to cut them up?Please help!

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  • Binder photo jan

    21 November 2011

    jan commented on this recipe

    I have just been given an enormous box of crab apples. Do I have to take all the stems off, and they are so tiny do I really have to cut them up?Please help!

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  • Binder photo jan

    21 November 2011

    jan commented on this recipe

    I have just been given an enormous box of crab apples. Do I have to take all the stems off, and they are so tiny do I really have to cut them up?Please help!

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  • 23 November 2011

    JeanC commented on this recipe

    I left all the stalks and skin on as i too used small apples. They don't get in to the juice so it is ok to do this. I am boiling my jam now. Can't wait to taste it

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  • 01 January 2012

    HeatherM rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Great recipe - I agree you need to check the water amount you boil the fruit in - as little as required to cover them - seeing that they float! However, strained overnight through a good old linen napkin the juice was quite clear. We have a weeping crab apple tree which has red apples - sometimes they look like tiny Starking apples! We just wash an pull off the stems, otherwise they are small enough to cook whole. Cooked them in the pressure cooker to a mushy pulp before straining - nice pink pulp! Boiled the juice with the sugar - (was probably a bit too much as our water amount threw out the calculations a little! ) This first batch - as there are many more apples on the tree - we did with a good cup or so of chopped mint to make mint jelly. This is great to have in the fridge for those times whan you need mint for lamb and there is none in the garden! It looks good too as the jelly stays pink with the green mint flecks in it! Super!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 6 jars

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Plus time to strain overnight.

Ingredients

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