This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

|

Spiced Crabapples and Honey Cinnamon Crabapples

I was introduced to spiced crabapples by my neighbor, Betty, when she invited us to pick apples at a friend's house. We had so many apples that we made some spiced/pickled, and some with honey and cinnamon. I'm sharing both apple recipes.

spiced crabapples and honey cinnamon crabapples
Spiced crabapples (front) and honey cinnamon crabapples

We also have wild apple trees on our property with small fruit (about half the size of commercial apples). We call these “crabapples” in our area of the country.

Many people think of tiny fruited trees when they refer to crabapples, and it's fine to use those, too. Make sure you have a positive ID, and that the trees haven't been sprayed with anything nasty. I recommend taste testing the fruit before canning, and starting with a small batch. Some crabapples have a very astringent flavor.

The spiced crab apples work well as a side dish, especially with pork. The honey cinnamon apples are sweeter, and are more of a dessert.

Preparing Your Canning Equipment

Canning equipment includes:

  • water bath canner or steam canner (not a pressure canner)
  • clean, warm quart jars
  • lids and rings in hot (not boiling) water
  • jar lifter
  • tongs or lid lifter to grab rings
  • funnel
  • clean cloth to wipe jar rims
  • ladle
  • wooden spoon for stirring
  • chopstick to remove air bubbles
  •  syrup (recipe below)

I run my jars through the dishwasher and time it so they are hot when I'm ready to can. You can also heat them in your canning water.

If using a steam canner, follow the manufacturer's guidelines. Use the same processing time. For more information on steam canning, see “Safe Use of Steam Canners“.

Note:  Prep all your canning equipment and syrup before you start cutting out the blossom ends out of the apples. You want to get the cut apples in the syrup as soon as possible to minimize browning.

crabapples on tree
Less ripe apples will stay firm and hold up better during canning.

Preparing Crabapples for Canning

For canning, it's best to use apples that are barely ripe, or even a bit underripe. These stay firmer during the canning process. Very ripe apples work better for homemade applesauce or maple apple jam.

Add a cup of white vinegar to a sink of cold water. Let your apples soak for 15 minutes to help remove residue, then rinse. Or – wash with fruit wash or a dab of plant based dish soap.

apple washing

Cut out the blossom end of the apple, but leave the stem intact. You don't need to core the apple. Poke the apple with a fork five times to allow even penetration of syrup.

If you don't have crabapples available, use apple slices. To help prevent browning (especially if you are working alone), dip the sliced apples in water with lemon juice added.

crabapple with blossom end removed

Spiced Crabapple Recipe

This spiced crabapple recipe is from my neighbor, Betty, who has been making it for years.

Ingredients

  • Around 6.5 pounds of crabapples (60-65 whole crabapples, enough to fill 5-6 quarts)
  • 9 cups water
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 6 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons whole cloves, placed in a spice bag
  • 3 cinnamon sticks

Directions

Prepare syrup by mixing all ingredients except apples and heating until the sugar is dissolved. Boil one minute.

Add prepared apples (with blossom ends removed) to syrup. Simmer five minutes. Don't overcook them, as they will cook more during processing. Remove spices from syrup.

crabapples-01

Load hot apples into hot quart jars, fill with syrup to 1/2 inch headspace. Run your chopstick or small non-metallic spatula between the apples and the jar to remove air bubbles. Add extra syrup if needed for 1/2 inch headspace.

Learn more about canning headspace here.

Wipe rim clean, screw on lid and ring to finger tightness. Remember, air needs to escape during processing.

packing canning jars with spiced crabapples

Place jars on rack in canner. When all apples are packed, lower jars into water. Make sure 1-2 inches of water covers the jars. Bring to boil, process (boil gently) 20 minutes.

When the cooking time is up, remove jars and place on a towel on the kitchen counter. After 12-24 hours, check lids for seal.

I finished with four quarts of honey cinnamon apples and six quarts of spiced apples.

To eat the apples, you nibble them off the stem and core. The spiced crabapples have an old fashioned sweet and sour flavor. The honey cinnamon apples are sweet with a hint of cinnamon. It's safe to infuse your favorite spices in the syrup, as long as you remove them before canning.

Print

Spiced Crabapple Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Old fashioned sweet and sour apple recipe for canning. Works well as a side dish for pork.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Processing time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 minutes
  • Total Time: 36 minutes
  • Yield: 56 quarts 1x
  • Method: Canning

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 6.5 pounds crabapples
  • 9 cups water
  • 1/2 cup vinegar
  • 6 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons whole cloves, placed in a spice bag
  • 3 sticks cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Prepare syrup by mixing all ingredients except apples and heating until the sugar is dissolved. Boil one minute. Add apples (with blossom ends removed) to syrup. Simmer five minutes; remove spices. 
  2. Load hot apples into hot quart jars, fill with syrup to 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and check headspace.
  3. Wipe rim clean, screw on lid finger tight.
  4. Process jars in a water bath canner for 20 minutes. 
  5. When the processing time is finished, remove jars from canner and place on a kitchen towel on the counter to cool completely.
  6. After 12-24 hours, check lids for seal. Remove rings, wipe any spills, date and label.
  7. Store in a cool, dark location. For best quality, use within 18 months.

Notes

Increase processing time by 1 minute for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude above 1,000 feet.

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

spiced crabapples
Spiced Crabapples
Print

Honey Cinnamon Crabapple Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Honey and cinnamon preserve crabapples for a tasty year round dessert.

  • Author: Laurie Neverman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Processing time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 45 quarts 1x
  • Method: Canning

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 5 pounds whole crabapples
  • 1 1/2 quarts water
  • 1 3/4 cup honey
  • 3 cinnamon sticks

Instructions

  1. Prepare syrup by adding honey to water and heating until the honey is dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks, simmer five minutes.
  2. Add apples (with blossom ends removed) to syrup. Simmer five minutes. 
  3. Load hot apples into hot quart jars, fill with syrup to 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and check headspace. Wipe rim clean, screw on lid finger tight.
  4. Process jars in water bath canner for 20 minutes.
  5. When the processing time is up, remove jars and place them on a kitchen towel on the counter to cool.
  6. After 12-24 hours, check lids for seal. Remove rings, wipe any spills, date and label.
  7. Store in a cool, dark location and use within 18 months for best quality.

Notes

Increase processing time by 1 minute for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude above 1,000 feet.

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

basket of crabapples
These apples are quite ripe, and will likely split their skins during processing. (But they will still be delicious!)

I hope you give spiced crabapples and honey cinnamon apples a try.

More Apple Goodness

Apple season is one of our favorite times of year. We eat them fresh, cook with them, and preserve them. These are some of our favorite recipes.

Easy Apple Crisp (without Oats)

Caramel Apple Cookies (Made with Fresh Apple Bits)

Cranberry Apple Pie

17 Ways to Preserve Apples

Apple Scrap Vinegar

Ball Canning Back to Basics: A Foolproof Guide to Canning Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and More
Granite Ware 8 Piece Enamelware Water bath canning Pot with Canning kit and Rack. Canning Supplies Starter Kit
The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes
Ball Canning Back to Basics: A Foolproof Guide to Canning Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and More
Granite Ware 8 Piece Enamelware Water bath canning Pot with Canning kit and Rack. Canning Supplies Starter Kit
The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes
$11.29
$77.99
$15.28
Ball Canning Back to Basics: A Foolproof Guide to Canning Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and More
Ball Canning Back to Basics: A Foolproof Guide to Canning Jams, Jellies, Pickles, and More
$11.29
Granite Ware 8 Piece Enamelware Water bath canning Pot with Canning kit and Rack. Canning Supplies Starter Kit
Granite Ware 8 Piece Enamelware Water bath canning Pot with Canning kit and Rack. Canning Supplies Starter Kit
$77.99
The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes
The All New Ball Book Of Canning And Preserving: Over 350 of the Best Canned, Jammed, Pickled, and Preserved Recipes
$15.28
This book will help you bake a amazing homemade bread, even if you've never baked before. Includes online baking tutorial and best bread storage tips.

This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie grew up in the kitchen, learning baking and home cooking from her momma. At age 15, she and her mom and two sisters created Irene’s Custom Cakes & Catering, which was her summer job through most of high school and college.

Now she combines old fashioned recipes, garden fresh produce, and cooking for special diets to make tasty, easy to prepare foods. Along with her passion for growing nutrient dense food, she also enjoys ancient history, adorable ducks, and lifelong learning.

Originally published in 2011, last updated in 2023.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

49 Comments

  1. Excelent recipe, I have a Whitney crabapple tree and had`a lot of apples last fall. Remembering a long time ago my grandparents having spiced apples on the dinner table, I wanted to find a recipe to make my own. I made the spiced and the honey cinnamon apples and both are delicious.

  2. Only 1/2 a cup of vinegar and a cup of Brown sugar?
    Wondering if the vinegar is a typo? (seems like there should be more vinegar than that?)
    And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a canning recipe that had brown sugar in it??

    1. Apples are naturally acidic, so you don’t need extra acid for safe processing, just a little for flavor. It’s more like a sweet and sour apple than say something like a pickle relish, where you want more acid kick, and need more acid for safe processing.

      I use brown sugar in several of my canning recipes. If you prefer to use white sugar, you can, but the neighbor’s recipe used brown.

  3. Thank you for these recipes! Wish I’d discovered them before I used a recipe that uses 1:1 honey/vinegar plus 1/4 as much water as vinegar. ? Looks like that recipe will produce a pickled crabapple taste. ? Recipe called for bringing crabapples and syrup to a boil, letting them sit overnight, heating to boiling, then sealing them in jars and processing them for 10 min. I guess I could add more water to syrup for less vinegar taste?

    1. That sounds like an old school style recipe. I’d probably pair the apples with savory dishes and roll with it. Pickled foods are great for cutting the heaviness of rich foods, whether the heaviness comes from starch or fat.

  4. Is there anywhere I can purchase candied crabapples in a jat from anyone. I am having a family reunion party and would love to put them out with my condiment dishes!

  5. Do you think I could make crab applesauce with this honey cinnamon recipe by cooking them down a bit more and putting them through my applesauce mill (similar to the one you have in the photo)? I don’t think we’ll eat them whole but we do want applesauce and I have a large crab apple tree at my disposal. (As a side note, I’m not sure if they’re ripe yet though, how will I know? ) Thanks for these! They sound really tasty!

    1. If you want applesauce with honey and cinnamon, simply cook down the apples and run them through your food mill, and then sweeten with honey to taste and sprinkle on some cinnamon. No need to go through the full recipe.

      As for determining ripeness, I generally let color and taste be my guide. Watch for the fruit to reach what you think is full color, then start sampling to see if it tastes ripe. A small amount of green apple won’t make you sick, but the sourness will let you know that it’s not quite ready.

    1. I don’t use red hots because of the artificial colors, but there are plenty of recipes on the internet. Missy at Graceful Little Honey Bee has one at http://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/red-hot-cinnamon-apples/.

      More on food dyes at http://blog.sfgate.com/green/2010/07/16/should-food-dyes-be-banned/:

      Evidence suggests, but does not prove, that Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, and Yellow 6 cause cancer in animals. The three most widely used dyes — Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 — are contaminated with known carcinogens.

      The granddaddy of them all, Red 3, is recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as a carcinogen. The law requires it to be illegal, but pressure from Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Agriculture, John R. Block, scuttled the required ban. About 200,000 pounds annually of Red 3 go into foods including Betty Crocker’s Fruit Roll-Ups and ConAgra’s Kid Cuisine frozen meals.

      1. How many do you have to make at once to have them last more than a year? LOL We ate the first jar before they finished cooling!

        1. Believe or not, the boys prefer applesauce to these little beauties, so they went after that and I was left to eat them mostly on my own. There’s just no accounting for taste. 😉

  6. Just tried making the crab-apple preserves for the first time… I have not had this treat since my grandmother passed away. Thank you for posting the recipe… These taste amazing.

  7. I have an odd question. I made both of these. (And holy cow, are they AWESOME!!). I just opened our second jar of the honey cinnamon apples, and they’re FIZZY! And bi fizzy, I mean carbonated! You bite into the apples and it’s like that first bubbly sip of soda.

    They’re not rotten or fermented, just fizzy.

    What did I DO? lol. The first jars didn’t have that, and I’m not sure if the rest do or not. I have noticed some bubbles developing along the top of the syrup, but the jars seem to still be sealed tight.

    Has anyone else encountered this? How did I manage this? LOL

    1. Sounds like you’re making apple hooch to me. If there are bubbles, there’s fermentation. The bubbles are CO2 – which is given off during fermentation. It’s not necessarily harmful. Given the high sugar content of the syrup, rather than spoiling, it will initially ferment into a mild hard cider/apple product. Left to continue to ferment, it would get more tart, like vinegar, as the sugar is consumed. It’s really hard to say exactly what happened long distance, but somehow fermentation is happening.

      1. Hooch! I love it! LOL

        A friend whose family does a to of canning said the apples might have begun fermenting before they were cooked. So I guess I’m brewing some hard cider now.

        I took the juice from the first jars that we had of each, combined them, and added the mother from a friend’s batch of citrus vinegar. I’m hoping to get a sort of spiced vinegar from it.

  8. If I use the honey cinnamon recipe for “regular apples” about how many pounds of apples will I need? Can I quarter the apples instead of using “rings”??

    1. Given that there’s a huge variation in apple sizes, it’s nearly impossible to say exactly how many apples will fit in a jar. Yes, you could quarter them instead of slicing them, but slicing will probably allow more fruit to fit per jar. PickYourOwn.org says it takes roughly 3 pounds of apples to make one quart jar of applesauce, so you know you’ll likely to be able to fit less than three pounds if you’re slicing apples in some way.

  9. My husband suggested that we should make spiced crab apples with our crab apples we picked. I will be trying your Honey Cinnamon Crab Apples. I expect them to taste great and that my family will enjoy them this winter. Thanks for posting.

  10. Am I understanding correctly that you cored the crab apples but and canned them with the skins still on? Weren’t the apple skins tough and chewy once cooked? Or did you just peel the apple once you had them on your dinner plates?

    1. They don’t get cored, only the blossoms are cut out. The skins are essentially cooked during the canning process, and become quite tender. You nibble around the seeds and stem.

  11. You mentioned yellow transparents…can you can them this way as well? Mine are done for the year but I was wondering for year after next. I usually just freeze slices and can apple sauce with them.

  12. THANKS….been trying to think of something to take advantage of the jillions of crab apples that grow around town each year. Usually I make jelly but I found this and thought I would give it a try. They smell wonderful and look beautiful in the jars. I cannot wait for them to cool enough so that we can taste!!

  13. Thanks for stopping by, Abby. Remember, these are crabapples – you'd need awfully big jars for regular apples, and a BIG canner, too. 🙂 You can use the syrups with regular apple slices, though, if you don't have crabapples.

    1. Please change!!! In a world where CHILD LABOUR ACTUALLY EXISTS your use of this phrase is totally insensitive and inappropriate. Please show respect and sensitivity by removing this phrase from your recipe…this is not ok

      1. No, I will not remove the phrase. Not talking about things doesn’t make them go away, and the context is clearly a joke.

        I am tired of bullies like yourself deciding what language can and cannot be used. It’s not making things better, it’s making things worse.

  14. I love that you can put them in the jars with skins and stems! What a time saver. Between your post and the cooler weather I think I'm ready for a fall dinner!