Tiny little sour apples... any good for cooking?

Angelina-M

Hi all.

Whilst out blackberrying, I found an apple tree... right in the middle of the walk! I've never seen a wild apple tree before so I want to ask advice please.

Its not a huge tree and its all chocked with other wild plants but it has loads of apples on it. Now the problem is, these apples are really quite small, the biggest are only really golf ball size but they have turned red in places so im assuming they are ready?

The apples are really sour like bramley ones. I would like to pick some to put in my mincemeat and make a pie but are they any good? I dont want to be giving my family a tummy ache

Thanks for any help folks

floss2

They may be crab-apples.... they make good jelly as a relish, like redcurrant jelly.

You could always make apple sauce with them.

liz105

definately sounds like crab apples to me. can you take a pic and post it on here?

Angelina-M

Thanks peeps

So it sounds like crab apple to you all? I dont have an adaptor for my fone so cant post a pic but I shall have a good look at google images for crab apple trees and check out whether it looks the same.

I guess I cant make any pies, but apple puree still looks a good option - nothing tastier than fresh free fruit!

I assume if it is crab apple, then they arent quite ready yet?

lolarentt

Angelina-M wrote: »

I assume if it is crab apple, then they arent quite ready yet?

Picture and details here:
http://www-saps.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/trees/apple.htm

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Crab apple is a small deciduous tree rarely over 8 m in height. Its habitat is woods, hedgerows and scrub, on all except acid soils.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The flowers, which are borne in clusters, are crimson in bud and pale pink to white inside when they open. The anthers are yellow.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The apples, when full-sized, are about 2.5 cm across. They are green in early autumn but do not ripen fully and become golden until late winter.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If the leaves and flower stalks are hairy and the apples are over 3 cm across the tree is probably of cultivated origin (Malus domestica).[/FONT]

twink

i have just made some crab apple jam, just put them all in a pan whole, i put some brambles in for colour or you can use rowan berries, cover with water, boil till soft, sieve and use a pound of sugar to a pint of juice, then boil till set

Angelina-M

Thanks again all.

I'm going to walk over there again today and take a good look at the tree. I may have a go at crab apple jam. But of course i'll have to wait a bit until the apples are ready... although i'll have to keep my eye on them as they are on a public walk and they'll soon be gone!

twink

i would imagine the apples are ready now, the crab apples here are small, hard and green though some are yellow with a reddish blush, used them for jam no bother

Angelina-M

twink wrote: »

i would imagine the apples are ready now, the crab apples here are small, hard and green though some are yellow with a reddish blush, used them for jam no bother

I did wonder as they look ready, ie yellow and nicely pink on one side. However that little link on the thread says they wont be ready until winter?

So what would you eat the crab apple jam with? (sorry if this is a dumb question) I am used to dark red/purple jams and cant imagine eating a scone smothered in a pale jam!

adouglasmhor

You can get red crab apples too, they like all crab apples are great for making herb jellys to have with meat, fish, cheese etc.

Angelina-M

Thanks all

I'm getting into this wild food malarky! I have now identified another bush that is growing everywhere and thats the rose hip. Its supposed to be full of vitamin C so im going to have a look around for some good ways to use them.

I keep reading about rasberries, strawberries, hazelnuts etc growing wild but ive never been lucky enough to find these things - next year i'll go on a mission lol.