John Wright
LATIN NAME
Malus sylvestris
SEASONALITY
September–October
HABITAT
Woods and hedgerows in lowland Scotland, England and Wales
Wild apples can be spotted growing on many roadsides in late summer but few of these are true crab apples. People throw apple cores from car windows or as they walk along, and these sometimes grow into trees. Apples do not breed true, so roadside fruit will possess near random qualities. The great pity of it all is that most wild apples go to waste – most have a use, either in the kitchen or for making cider.
True crab apples are usually found in old country hedgerows by the roadside, internal farm hedges and in open woodland. In October, forest trees will be surrounded by tens of kilos of the fallen fruit. They are distinguished by being small (often no more than 2cm in diameter), hard, and at least a little scabby looking. They are also bitter with tannin, lacking in sugar and filled mostly with pips surrounded by tough membranes.
So what can be done with this unappealing fruit? A great deal. Left whole and packed into a Kilner jar to two-thirds fill it, with sugar and vodka added and with screwed-up foil on top to hold them under, they make a superb apple liqueur, ready to drink after 6–12 months. Crab apples also form the basis of many a fruit leather (see Hawthorn).
Crab apple jelly (see next recipe) is a classic use for this fruit, as is crab apple wine, but their usefulness in cider-making shouldn’t be overlooked. If you can get your hands on cider apples, then stick with those, but if you wish to make cider from dessert apples, the addition of one-third crab apples will improve the structure of your pulp, tannin levels and general flavour considerably.
CRAB APPLE JELLY WITH THYME, JUNIPER AND MINT
This herby jelly is delicious with lamb or game birds. For a plain jelly to accompany pork, leave out the juniper and herbs. For a crab apple and sage jelly, add 4 tbsp chopped sage at the end; this is fantastic with cheese. Makes about 6 x 450g jars
2kg crab apples, stalks removed
A generous bunch of thyme (about 30g)
5–10 juniper berries, bashed
A large bunch of mint (about 100g), leaves chopped, stalks reserved
About 1kg granulated sugar
First sterilise your jars by washing them in hot soapy water, rinsing well, then putting them upside down on a baking tray in a very low oven (at 120°C/Fan 100°C/Gas ½) to dry and warm up.
Roughly chop the crab apples, retaining the skin, cores and pips. Put them into a large, heavy-based pan or preserving pan with the thyme, juniper and mint stalks. Add enough water to barely cover the fruit and bring to a simmer. Cook gently until the apples are soft and pulpy, about 15 minutes.
Set up a jelly bag or line a large sieve with muslin. Pour the apple mixture into the bag or sieve and leave to strain for several hours, until the juice stops dripping through. For a perfectly clear jelly, do not squeeze the pulp in the bag or muslin. However, if you want maximum yield and don’t mind a cloudy jelly, give the bag a squeeze.
Put a saucer in the fridge to chill. Measure the apple liquid into a clean pan. For every 500ml liquid, add 375g sugar. Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 8 minutes, then test for setting point. To do this, turn off the heat, drip a little of the jelly on to the chilled saucer and return to the fridge for a couple of minutes. Push the jelly with your fingertip: if it has formed a significant skin that wrinkles, setting point has been reached. If not, boil for another 2–3 minutes before testing again. If unsure, err on the side of caution: a lightly set jelly is far nicer than a solid one.
Once the jelly is ready, add the chopped mint. Leave to cool for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.
When the mint is suspended through the jelly rather than all floating on top, pour into the warm jars and seal straight away. Store for up to a year; refrigerate once opened and use within a couple of months.