Crab Apples

It's Crab Apple time and the trees are loaded with them this year.

The Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) is an ancient symbol of fertility, and a popular forager's fruit as it makes a delicious, jewel-coloured jelly. 

The trees are often planted in commercial orchards as their long flowering period makes them excellent pollination partners for cultivated apples. The tree can live to 100 years old and grow to around 10m in height. They have an irregular, rounded shape and a wide, spreading canopy. With greyish brown, flecked bark, the trees can become quite gnarled and twisted and the twigs often develop spines. This 'crabbed' appearance may have influenced its common name, Crab Apple. The fruit varies considerably from tree to tree and can be coloured green, yellow or blushing reds and oranges. 

They can vary in size too. These grape-sized ones grow wild near me - perfectly formed but as sour as the Devil's kiss.

All modern apple types were cultivated and bred from the Crab Apple, though it's hard to believe that our ancient ancestors stored them and ate them throughout the winter. They are incredibly sour but beggars can't be choosers, I guess. And they could be sweetened by stewing and by adding sweet herbs, rosehips, berries, honey or maple syrup. Most commonly these days they are used to make crab apple jelly and as a natural source of pectin for setting jams and jellies. 

They can also be used as a flavouring for ales and spirits and one of my favourite uses for them is to make Crab Apple Whisky. Get yourself around 750g crab apples and wash and halve them. Then place them a 1 litre jar and top up with whisky. Swirl in 5 tbsp of honey or sugar and 3 slices of fresh ginger (or a cinnamon stick, halved vanilla pod, cardamom, cloves - whatever you fancy). Then leave it steeping for as long as you like. The longer you leave it, the better the flavour. If you can, leave it for up to 3-5 years and it’ll veer towards the likes of Calvados. I'm told you can do the same with brandy but I've not tried it yet. Maybe this year?

The Crab Apple was seen as sacred by the Druids - and doubly so if it had Mistletoe growing on it (which it often does). Apples in general have a strong significance in Paganism (see this previous post). Apple wood was burned during fertility rites and festivals, and it was said that if you throw the pips into the fire while saying the name of your love and the pips explode, their love for you is true.

But, as proof of fidelity, I'm not sure that would hold up in court during a divorce hearing.