The great news is there is no need to peel, core ot mess around with them.ДЄdd water to just cover, bring to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes. No need to be too fussy.ДЄccording to side, halve them, chop them or crush them and pop them in a large pot or preserving pan. Crab applesД«asically you harvest the apples, wash them and remove any damage. These fruits are undoubtedly suitable for making crab apple jelly. Personally I would be very happy to have something as attractive and useful named after me. It is named after a well-known fruit authority and author, Harry Baker. Malus вЂHarry BakerвЂ™ is particularly striking with its large purple-red fruits. Perhaps they remind us of our own ageing process and thatвЂ™s why we find this stage so offensive! At their peak they can still be harvested and used for jelly. The rounded yellow crab apples are smaller than many others attractive at first but hanging on the tree and turning brown as they age in a most unattractive way. The flowers are smaller and starrier with a rich, honey fragrance. Malus вЂGolden HornetвЂ™ is also a good old popular variety. Typical apple blossom develops into large conical fruits of yellow-orange sharp, bursting with flavour and packed with juice. A compact, conical tree it is ideal for the small garden. Malus вЂJohn DownieвЂ™ is probably the best known. There are many varieties to choose from, but those with larger, fleshier fruits are naturally the favourites to harvest to make preserves. The blossom is a rich source of nectar and pollen and any fruit that you do not harvest will be appreciated by birds and insects. They flower freely and providing their blooming period coincides with the apples in your garden they will act as pollinators. Malus 'Neville' Copeland'Д¬rab apples make great pollinators for fruiting apples. Today many popular ornamental garden trees will deliver the goodness-packed ingredients to your plot.

This is a wonderfully traditional preserve that would have been made from wild apples collected from the hedgerow. ItвЂ™s also delicious slapped on hot buttered toast. It is eaten as an accompaniment to meat or smoked fish, cheese or pate as its tart, sharp quality cuts through the greasiness of the food. It can be clear or cloudy, sharp or sweet, pure or flavoured. Crab apple jelly is the usual product of harvest and preserving crab apples. Malus 'Evereste'Д¬rab apples: ornamental varieties of malus which produce attractive fruits that are usually too sharp to eat and enjoy, but make excellent, flavour filled preserves.

John downie crab apple