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 the small, bitter fruits that grow on flowering crabapple trees. With their sour flavor and tiny size, you may wonder if crab apples are even edible. I used to walk past crabapple trees and never consider snacking on the fruit. After doing some research, I realized you can eat crab apples, but the flavor will be tart. Here’s what you need to know about the safety, taste, and best uses for crab apples.
What Exactly Are Crab Apples?
Crab apples belong to the same genus as regular apples – Malus. But crabapples produce fruits under 2 inches wide, compared to the much larger apples you buy at the store. There are around 55 species of crab apples grown worldwide. These trees produce an abundance of blossoms in spring, which is why they are popular ornamental trees.
The fruits that emerge later in summer tend to be red, yellow, or green. You’ll know crabapples are ripe when the seeds inside turn brown and the flesh feels soft. Ripe crab apples will still taste quite sour, but not as bitter as unripe ones.
Crab apples have a high antioxidant content and provide some iron, calcium, and vitamin C But you won’t get large amounts of nutrients from eating them.
Are Crab Apples Safe to Eat?
The flesh of crab apples is perfectly edible. Just avoid consuming the core and seeds, which contain a compound that releases cyanide when ingested. As long as you spit out the core and seeds, crab apples are not poisonous.
Some people can eat crab apples straight off the tree. If you try this, start with just a tiny bite, as the flavor can be quite harsh. It’s best to stick to cooked crab apple dishes to enjoy their benefits without too much puckering
What Does Crab Apple Taste Like?
Imagine an extremely sour, bitter apple and you’ll get an idea of a raw crab apple’s taste. The deep red varieties tend to be more astringent than green or yellow crab apples. Even when ripe crab apples will never reach the sweetness of a honey crisp or Fuji apple.
To make crab apples palatable, they must be cooked with sugar or other sweet ingredients. On their own, crab apples are mouth-puckeringly tart. The sweetness helps temper the intense sour flavor.
Cooking and Baking with Crab Apples
Crab apples require sweetener to make them into a tasty treat. That’s why they work well in baked goods like pies, jelly, jam, chips, and cider. The high pectin content in crab apples gives products like jam and jelly the right gelled texture.
Popular crab apple recipes include:
- Crab apple jelly
- Crab apple pie
- Crab apple jam
- Crab apple chutney
- Crab apple sauce
- Crab apple butter
- Crab apple muffins
- Crab apple cider
Play around with spices, sweeteners, and other fruits to craft your own crab apple creations. Freezing crab apples before using them in cooking can mellow out some of the harsh bitterness as well.
Can You Eat All Kinds of Crab Apples?
There are dozens of crab apple cultivars, so you may find certain types taste better than others. According to enthusiasts, here are some of the best crab apples for eating:
- Chestnut crab apple – reputed to be one of the sweetest
- Dolgo crab apple – bright red color and high yields
- Centennial crab apple – good for baking
- Whitney crab apple – yellow flesh with sweet-tart flavor
Ask neighbors with crab apple trees which variety they have and if they’ve successfully used the fruit in any recipes. This can give you ideas on the tastiest crab apples to forage in your area.
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.
Everything You Need To Know About Crab Apples!
Can you eat a crab apple?
The larger the crab apple, the more likely it is to be something you’d want to eat. In fact, many nurseries stock a variety called ‘Chestnut crab,’ which is used as a small eating apple. It’s a nice tart apple, and the trees produce well. It’s one of the first trees I planted in my permaculture garden.
Is it ok to eat 3 small apples everyday?
Yes, the ideal would be to consume at least three servings of fruit a day, each serving being a different fruit, but eating 3 apples is still a great option.
Can you use crab apples instead of apples?
Try subbing crab apples for apples in this delicious sugar-free apple pear fruit leather recipe. One of the most well-known uses for crab apples, crab apple jelly has a rich apple-y flavor. Use crab apples in place of apples for homemade vinegar. Here’s how to make vinegar from scratch.
Are crab apples healthy?
As for crab apple’s nutrition, they’re a good source of vitamin C and have small amounts of other nutrients. One cup of raw crab apples has 83.6 calories and contains low levels of iron, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium. These fruits also have high antioxidant activity, which may help your body get rid of harmful free radicals.