Everyone has been told at least once not to eat crabapples. Many people think they are poisonous because they often taste bad and the seeds contain small amounts of cyanide. Can you eat crabapples without getting sick? Read on to find out more about that and what to do with crabapple fruit trees.
The short answer to this question is: yes. However, there’s a longer answer to explain why. Crabapples aren’t actually a different kind of tree than apples. The only distinction is one of size. If a tree produces fruits that are bigger than 2 inches (5 cm. ) in diameter, it’s an apple. If the fruits are smaller than 2 inches (5 cm. ), it’s a crabapple. That’s it. Granted, those apples that have been bred to be bigger have also been bred to be better tasting. Many ornamental varieties of crabapples have been bred to have attractive flowers and nothing else. This means that the fruit of crabapple trees, for the most part, is not especially good tasting. Eating crabapples wont make you sick, but you may not enjoy the experience.
Crab apples are small, tart wild apples that grow on trees and resemble bigger apples. With their intense, fruit flavor, crab apples can make a tasty addition to recipes when used properly. But are crab apples actually good to eat? Let’s take a closer look at the safety, nutrition, and tastiness of this foraged fruit.
An Overview of Crab Apples
Crab apples are essentially the wild ancestors of our modern, cultivated apples. Over time, apples were selectively bred to produce larger and sweeter fruit. Crab apples were left unchanged, so they remain golf ball-sized with a very tart, intense taste. There are over 800 varieties of crab apples grown worldwide.
Crab apples grow on small ornamental trees, usually less than 20 feet tall. The fruits are generally under 2 inches wide and ripen in late summer to early fall. Most crab apples are yellow-green, but some varieties produce a deep red fruit that resembles a cherry.
Are Crab Apples Safe to Eat?
A common myth is that crab apples are toxic However, crab apples are perfectly safe to eat as long as you avoid the core and seeds Like regular apples, crab apples contain a small amount of amygdalin, a compound that breaks down into cyanide. But the amount found in crab apples is very minimal and not harmful if accidentally ingested.
The fruits can be foraged from the wild or harvested from ornamental trees. Just be 100% certain you have correctly identified crab apples before eating. Cutting open the fruit reveals white flesh and small black seeds, confirming it’s an apple and not a lookalike cherry or toxic plant.
Nutrition Profile of Crab Apples
Crab apples contain pectin vitamin C, antioxidants and other nutrients found in regular apples, just in smaller amounts. Four crab apples provide
- 18 calories
- 5 grams carbohydrates
- 1 gram fiber
- 2% daily vitamin C
- 1% daily potassium
The fruit and skin also deliver polyphenols, compounds linked to anti-cancer effects. So while tiny, crab apples offer many of the same health benefits as bigger apples.
How to Use Crab Apples
Most people don’t eat crab apples raw due to their extreme tartness. But their intense apple flavor shines when cooked. Here are some delicious ways to use crab apples:
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Jams and Jellies – Crab apples are naturally high in pectin, perfect for fruit spreads. Cook the crab apples into a pulp, strain out seeds, then cook with sugar
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Baking – Chop crab apples into pieces and add to muffins, cakes, crisps. They add moisture and a tart apple taste.
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Juicing – Blend crab apples with sweeter juice ingredients like carrots or pineapple. Strain out solids.
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Vinegars – Steep chopped crab apples in vinegar for 2-3 weeks then strain. Use in salad dressings.
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Canning – Cook crab apples with sugar syrup and canning methods to make pie filling, sauces, or toppings.
When using crab apples, start with varieties that are larger and sweeter, like Chestnut or Dolgo. And always remove the core and seeds before eating.
For the adventurous eater, crab apples make an excellent edible wild harvest. While their raw flavor is likely too sour for most people, crab apples transform into something special when cooked. Jams, baked goods, and other recipes allow the full apple-y taste to develop. So don’t be afraid to gather up some crab apples on your next hike or forage. With the right kitchen techniques, these tiny fruits become a unique, free treat straight from nature.
Eating Fruit of Crabapple Trees
Some crabapple fruit trees are more palatable than others. Dolgo and Centennial are varieties that are sweet enough to eat right off the tree. For the most part, however, crabapple owners prefer to cook the fruit into preserves, butters, sauces, and pies. A couple good varieties for cooking are Chestnut and Whitney. Because crabapple trees easily cross with other species, there’s a good chance you’ll never know for sure what kind of tree you have. Go ahead and try it both fresh and cooked with a lot of sugar to see what you like best. You don’t have to worry about whether it’s edible – it is. As for the cyanide? It’s just as present in the seeds of apples and even pears. Just avoid the seeds as usual and you’ll be fine.
Can You Eat Crabapples? Let’s Taste Test Them!
Can you eat crab apples?
This article reviews whether you can eat crab apples. Crab apples are small, decorative wild apples. Like domesticated eating apples, they’re members of the Malus genus. Eating apples were simply bred to produce larger, sweeter fruit ( 1 ). A common misconception is that crab apples are toxic.
Are crab apples poisonous?
Crab apples are not poisonous. As noted above, crab apples are perfectly safe to eat, even off the branch. As with all varieties of apples, however, you should avoid eating or chewing crab apple seeds. The seeds from apples and crab apples are toxic and if consumed, can metabolize into a poisonous cyanide compound, notes Brown.
What happens if you eat a crab apple?
If you definitively have a crab apple on your hands, be sure to avoid the seeds and core. The seeds contain cyanogenic glycoside, which your body metabolizes into cyanide, a toxic compound. Still, there’s no need to panic if you accidentally swallow a few seeds — it would take a lot of them to make you sick.
Are crab apples sour?
Brown notes that some varieties of ornamental crab apple tree do not bear fruit and are grown just for their flowers. Crab apples have a more sour taste than common apples, too. “ [Crab apples] are more acidic and astringent than the domestic apple,” Brown notes. Can You Eat Crab Apples? Yes, you can definitely eat crab apples.