2023 Crabapple Harvest

This year I moved into a home that has a healthy crabapple tree! Once the fruit started ripening I started harvesting and am now hooked on finding ways to use all the beautiful apples. This post is to show the process I am using and ways I plan to use the fruit in case you are interested in doing something similar!

To start, I had to find a way to harvest that worked for me. Since I am new to this process, I started simple and went out every few mornings to collect a large colander or gathering apron full. The farther into the season it gets, the more the smell of apples fills the air as I pick them. Using a small stepping stool, I have been able to reach a large amount of the branches which has given me enough of a harvest to create some tasty treats. I’m sure there is a way to harvest more efficiently, but for the first season, it has been nice to feel connected to the process by hand picking each fruit. This way also has helped to determine if each apple is good to use before bringing them inside to clean.

One thing I learned through the harvesting process is how to quickly identify which apples have become a home for bugs and so not to use them. For the most part this is pretty obvious, but in some cases the openings of the hole have a leaf sealed over it or have been healed over if the apple was bored into before it was fully grown. For the most part it is not a major concern, but I had noticed while cutting a batch open that sometimes if there is a bug hole, the inside of the apple starts to mold. So if you are harvesting your own, keep any eye out for these signs.

Once I started harvesting, I then had to find a way to save the fruit until I had enough to use. The method I chose this season is to juice them and freeze the juice into ice cubes as each batch is harvested. My first attempt was to cut them up and cook them down before hand squeezing, but this method proved to have very little results. So, I bought a small juicer and immediately had a great amount of juice being produced! For future seasons, I plan to look into ways to use the pulp and find other ways to use the fruit, but for now, I am composting the leftover pulp since I do not have much time to dedicate to this process this year.

Now that I have a decent amount of juice from my first couple weeks of harvest, I am excited to make some jelly and cider. This juice is super tart and should be great to make sweet treats for a good balance of flavor! Plus the super bright pink color should be very pretty. I’ll share my results and recipes used once I have been able to make some!