What do you do with crabapples?

General Fruit Growing
#21

Sounds like a good crab especially for your area.

#22

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.

2 Likes
#23

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

#24

Remind me if you want scion this winter, plenty to spare.

1 Like
#25

Thanks and if I have any scions you want just let me know. Bill

1 Like
#26

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.

1 Like
#27

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.

1 Like
#28

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.

5 Likes
#29

Drying would not be anything I would have thought about doing with crabs.

#30

Neither did I, I was drying some of my other apples and my grandkids love the Trailman, they picked a bunch they wanted me to try. So, of course I did. The flavour intensifies and so does the sweetness and the sour. They are very good.

1 Like
#31

Sounds like a snack I would like

1 Like