Spiced Crabapples and Honey Cinnamon Crabapples
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
PrintSpiced Crabapple Recipe
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: 5–6 quarts 1x
- Method: Canning
Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Process jars in a water bath canner for 20 minutes.
- When the processing time is finished, remove jars from canner and place on a kitchen towel on the counter to cool completely.
- After 12-24 hours, check lids for seal. Remove rings, wipe any spills, date and label.
- 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.
Honey Cinnamon Crabapple Recipe
Honey and cinnamon preserve crabapples for a tasty year round dessert.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Processing time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 quarts 1x
- Method: Canning
Ingredients
- 5 pounds whole crabapples
- 1 1/2 quarts water
- 1 3/4 cup honey
- 3 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Prepare syrup by adding honey to water and heating until the honey is dissolved. Add cinnamon sticks, simmer five minutes.
- Add apples (with blossom ends removed) to syrup. Simmer five minutes.
- 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.
- Process jars in water bath canner for 20 minutes.
- When the processing time is up, remove jars and place them on a kitchen towel on the counter to cool.
- After 12-24 hours, check lids for seal. Remove rings, wipe any spills, date and label.
- 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.
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)
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.