Old Fashioned Spiced Crab Apples

INGRÉDIENTS
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

a quart of crab apples
1 3/4 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
3 cups sugar
1 Tbsp cardamom pods
1 tsp whole cloves

PRÉPARATION
Old Fashioned Spiced Crab Apples is a vintage pickled apple recipe that makes the perfect side to any fall meal and is a must at Thanksgiving!

Wash the apples well, and leave the stems intact.

Gently prick the apples all over with a fork or the tip of a small sharp knife. This is so that they don't burst as they cook.

Combine the vinegar, water, and sugar in a pot.

Roll over the cardamom pods with a rolling pin or the side of a wine bottle to gently crack them open. Don't lose any of the black seeds. Add the cardamom (seeds and pods) and cloves to the pan and bring to a boil

Turn down the heat and add the apples to the pot. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your apples. Use your judgement, you don't want the apples to get soft and mushy.

Carefully remove the apples from the hot liquid and pack them into your jar or jars.
Strain the pickling liquid and then pour into the jars, completely immersing the fruit. Let cool and then cap and refrigerate.

The apples can be canned, as well, for longer storage.

Makes 1 quart

Notes
Despite my precautions, my apples did split open a bit, that's ok, it won't hurt the final product at all! I slightly adapted this recipe from A Hundred Years Ago

The apples will be ready to eat after a day, and will keep up to a month (or more) in the refrigerator. Serve them as a traditional side to meats and poultry, or sandwiches. I think they’d be fantastic on a cheese plate, too.

These are really really delightful! I hope you check out your neighborhood for crab apple trees, they’re in season right now, and If you want to know more about identifying and using crab apples, the best information I found is here, it’s from Ireland, but the info pertains to the States, too.

You’ll want to find a large, wide mouthed jar for this project. My WECK JAR held almost the whole quart of apples. You can also use smaller jars if you have smaller crab apples, just make sure whatever you use can accommodate your fruit. I did a dry run first.