Interesting, I haven’t encountered anyone that said Chestnut crab was bitter at all. I have also never seen bitter pit in Chestnut. Some years they will get a bit of watercore if I let them hang too long. Maybe the variety doesn’t do well at your location.
“Bitter pit” is a confusing term. It doesn’t actually mean that it causes the fruit to taste bitter. Rather it means they develop with defects (including shape and texture). Apples are very prone to calcium deficiency in my area and I’ve never noticed it cause actual bitterness. If your apple was bitter (like dandelion greens) then perhaps it was a different crabapple mislabeled as ‘Chestnut’. Some people also mean “sour” when they say “bitter”. If that’s the case then perhaps they simply weren’t ripe when picked.
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Yes, exactly! We have very acid clay, and putting lime on top is no way enough to deal with the Calcium deficiency way down. The apples had dark flecks in them, a weird texture, and I suppose not bitter like dandelion, but a weird astringent effect on the tongue.
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Some crabapples can be very astringent for sure. Perhaps someone gave you the wrong one.
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Still waiting for my Chestnut grafts to fruit, but I’ve wondered about the possibility that an apple that originated in MN (z5a/4b) may not perform as well down here in what’s now designated as z7a.
That said, ‘Trailman’, which originated and was trialed in Manitoba/Alberta, seems right at home here, and produces the tastiest apple I ever ate.
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I’ve grown chestnut for years and I’ve never had a bitter one. We have extremely low calcium soils naturally. I did a soil test and found that out. Then I added calcium. Now I’m adding calcium as part of my biochar inoculation protocol in the way of Ag lime. Still no bitter pit or strange tasting chestnut crabs. I think they’re delicious.
John S
PDX OR
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I know this post started 2 years ago, but I’m curious about any updates on crabapples for fresh eating. Nobody mentioned Kerr. I read great things last year and got some scionwood. 3 grafts took, but I won’t have fruit for a while. Does anybody have Kerr?
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I think dungeness tops all crabs. I like the ease of snow crab legs but they’re too expensive and i like my crabs alive before the meal. It really does taste different that way. I’m surprised my teeth aren’t chipped from chomping on red rock pinchers throughout the years.
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I laughed when i read your post about eating crab meat instead of crabapples. I love both snow crab , king crab and crabapples!
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I didn’t read… so i thought crab = 
and not mini apples lol
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I thought you were joking. I was thinking this woman has some humor i like that. You should have saw that smile break out on my face.
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i do love seafood!
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This title is misleading to all seafood connoisseurs 
But please don’t change it lol
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@JenGCF… I have had Kerr for nearly 30 years. Nice little crab… red with crisp white flesh. I’d put it in the tart category - not overly so, but not sweet like its half-sib Centennial. Kerr has sort of a musky wine undertone and a very mild tannic ‘bite’. I really like it. Stays crisp longer than Centennial, which can go mealy in the heat - but both are worthy of growing.
All of my edible crabs ripen here (southern KY, 70 mi NW of Nashville TN) in late June to mid-July.
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I hope one day to lay my hands on one of these crabs soon. 
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We tasted Kerr at an open house at the Geneva Research Station and dubbed it the Hawaiian Punch apple. I purchased a tree on G.11 from Cummins the next spring and it was just starting to put out laterals last summer. Over winter it ended up getting snapped off by excessive freezing rain and snow, but I was able to save the whip and graft 4 new trees this spring. We really liked it’s flavor when we tasted it at Geneva.
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As a owner of a U pick with aprox 80 varieties of apples and pears I always get the question “what is my favorite variety”.
It applies to this thread in that I have many favorite varieties. A more appropriate question would be what is my favorite variety today? The U pick season stretches over a 9 week period and what is great as a summer apple will be replaced with a fall apple then winter varieties. They are all unique in their own season.
So my response to the crabapple question would be Centennial in the summer and Puget Spice in the fall.
Centennial is sweeter but then i imagine its just due to lower acids. Its definitely one that customers enjoy eating out of hand and using as a varietal.
Puget Spice on the other hand is much more of a well rounded crab. Excellent tannins, great mouth feel for astringency and tartness but with plenty of sweetness to balance the apple. We grow a lot of this apple now as it is appealing to a wide audience, fresh juice, cider, processed products, pectin source.
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Does Puget Spice have to contend with cedar apple rust or fire blight?
Well sir, i cant give you much of an evaluation on that as for some reason i only get the asiaticum form of CAR that hits some varieties of my Asian pears. Never have seen CAR on an apple, knock on wood.
I am located in western WA which isnt afflicted with Fire Blight either.
I could mention though that it is scab immune and highly anthracnose resistant. These are two big problems we all deal with around here.
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