Wow. That sounds like a keeper. How big were they? With that sort of yield and a hint of bitter I think some hard cider makers might be interested.
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Fruit size ranged from nickel to half-dollar diameter. This is a city park tree of unknown variety, the ground-dragging and broken branches will likely be pruned off and hauled away soon. Past couple of years the fruit has been sparse and too high to reach in this very old tree that is 20 feet tall and wider. By the time the fruit drops it is of low quality.
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Those are many good ways to use crabapples and with other fruit. I am getting close to the point of having enough various fruits to try some of these methods. Thanks Bill
Making crabapple juice would be unique. I think I would have to just call it apple juice initially to get my grands to try it. With a little sugar I would think it would really be good. Bill
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Just guessing but I would think if the tree was planted by the city it would be one of the crab varieties used for flowering and also had good fruit. Regardless of the variety it is good that they were put to a good use. Bill
Cider is a great use for crab apples! See this old link on extracting juice Good options for small-scale cider press?
Auburn (WDE, by the way!)
Are those native crabs - of the M.angustifolia/coronaria types? The flesh almost looks to have that dense, dry appearance so typical of them, and the skin sure looks like 'em.
If so, I’ve never done anything with them other than leave them for the wildlife to eat - but my dad loved them… he’d gather 10 gallons or so and keep 'em in buckets on the unheated back porch there at Auburn, and eat on them all winter., sprinkled with copious amounts of salt. He even had a ‘crab orchard’ of dozen or so seedlings/root sprouts that he’d collected from productive trees he encountered around East Alabama. I have a couple growing here in KY from his collection.
I just cooked down a gallon or so of juice last night - but mine was from a mix of Kerr (good eating!), Geneva & Giant Russian - the latter two are red-fleshed varieties not good for anything but jelly, as grown here. Will be making crabapple jelly - or, more likely, crabapple-hot pepper jelly. Mmmm.
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This crab is bigger than the typical native that I grew up with. Other than size and ripening earlier I can’t tell any difference between the two. These were not thinned and measured about 1.75" -2.00". Unfortunately I don’t know what variety it is. While visiting my sister near Auburn this winter I took a few scions of M. Augustifolia from their place and grafted them to an apple limb. And yes it is great to be an auburn tiger WDE. Bill
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Bill,
Some years ago, my dad took me to a friend’s house, up Hwy 147, on the way to Gold Hill, where there was a native crab with the largest apples I’ve ever seen on one… I swear, I remember them being well over 2"; I got scions of that tree, and a root sprout - have the root sprout and grafts growing here, but have never gotten that BIG fruit… they’re just ‘normal size’.
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As a kid I had similar experiences and I’m assuming that these were likely selected native crabs. All the others I would see in a more rural setting was much smaller. I remember going to one of my uncles house as a kid and we brought home a sprout from a large fruited crab that is still going strong at what is now my brothers house. I now have a few scions from this tree at my home. Glad you pointed this out and after giving this more thought they would almost have to be descended from the native crabs.
Yeah, but I wasn’t a kid… I’d have been in my 40s when Dad showed me that crab with the big fruits. Grafts from that specific tree and a root sucker produce well - but they’re the typical fruit of the species.
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I love some of my crab apples. Off the tree it is hard to beat a trailman crab. They will
watercore and taste like wine. Many years they crack, but they still remain good to
eat if you pick on regular basis. Of course I am in Alaska and only early apple
ripen in my area so many of the hardy excellent apples are not available.
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Sounds like a good crab especially for your area.
I love my Trailman too, they are ripening now and are better fresh eating than any summer apple to date! If any fruit make it inside we will make apple butter.
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From what I read about Trailman they are firblight resistant and can take -45 degree weather (no big deal here our lows are about 15-20) and taste great. Until these postings I never new it existed. Very interesting crab
Remind me if you want scion this winter, plenty to spare.
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Thanks and if I have any scions you want just let me know. Bill
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I picked up a handful of Dolgo crab from the pre-picked bin at the u-pick orchard yesterday.
Everyone else in the family said they were too sour, but I thought they were excellent. Very sweet and nice aromatic crab flavor. Somewhat astringent but not too bad. A small branch may need to make its way onto my one of my trees.
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Yup Trailman is very cold hardy, no dieback here and we get -45 C which equates to -49F. A few winters actually reached -49C (-56.2F) and the tree came thru just fine, I can’t remember if it flowered though, I don’t think it was very old then. It is not a small crab, especially if you thin it and is very flavourful with a strong pear overtone. Mine are almost ripe now, I have never had any crack, they hang on the tree a long time before they are overripe. I like to leave them until the nights get colder and then they get amazingly sweet and juicy.
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My new favourite thing to do with Trailman crabapples is drying them in my dehydrator.
Once they are halved and then cored with a melon baller they seem to dry very well.
Fresh ready to go.
Done, but be warned, it is like eating a Sour Soother candy. I cannot stop snacking on them.
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