Crabapple Trees Provide Beauty and Tasty Treats

By Melissa Brewer
(330) 263-3886
brewer.176@osu.edu
Source: Mike Lee
(253) 435-8610
mike.lee@baileynursery.com
Jim Chatfield
(330) 263-3831
chatfield.1@osu.edu

WOOSTER, Ohio—People wanting to spice up their apple recipes this year might look to their backyard for a tiny tart treat -- a fistful of crabapples. And now is the time as the first ones are ripe and ready to eat.

‘Dolgo’ and ‘Columbia’ crabapples are among the first edible crabapples to ripen in Ohio, usually in August, said Mike Lee, a Bailey Nurseries territory salesman and crabapple cook. This is compared to the smaller-fruited crabapple trees that ripen in September and early October.

‘Dolgo’ crabapples, about the size of small plums, are a tasty addition to apple ciders and make delicious crabapple butter and pickled crabapple treats, Lee said. In addition to taste, the ‘Dolgo’ fruit, in particular, has blood-red flesh that makes attractive sauce.

“The ‘Dolgo’ crabapples are really good eating, but you have to grab a handful because they’re small,” said Lee, who grows them for his yearly crabapple butter. “Come this time of year, they really hit the spot.”

In Ohio, most crabapple trees are grown for ornamental purposes, but that is all a state of mind, Lee said. In other places, like Wisconsin and Minnesota, people plant crabapples right alongside their fruit trees. Edible crabapples have just not caught on in Ohio yet, he said.

A lot of people who plant ornamental crabapple trees tend to use crabapples that produce smaller fruit, said Jim Chatfield, an Ohio State University Extension district specialist and horticulturist. All crabapples are small by definition -- less than 2 inches in diameter -- but smaller types -- say, less than an inch in diameter -- are less messy when they fall to the ground, which is a big reason people choose such cultivars.

“Smaller crabapples, though they are the best crabapples for street trees, public areas and more formal gardens, are nevertheless non-starters as edible choices,” Chatfield said. “Tiny ornamental crabapples tend to be sour and do not produce enough juice for our enjoyment. However, they are still bird-beloved.”

With proper planning, larger-fruited crabapples like the ‘Dolgo’ can be incorporated into just about any landscape with minimal problems, Lee said. They should just be kept away from sidewalks and should not be planted in areas of the landscape that are regularly used.

People wanting to plant edible crabapples in Ohio should try ‘Dolgo,’ ‘Selkirk,’ ‘Calloway’ and ‘Ralph Shay,’ Chatfield said. These cultivars can be found in Secrest Arboretum’s Crablandia plots, located on the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center’s (OARDC) Wooster campus.

For those who can get their hands on a few crabapples, Chatfield recommends they “get those cauldrons out and make some rich ‘Dolgo’ butter to slather on crusty homemade sourdough bread this autumn. Get some Certo and convert the traditional apple jelly recipe into something with some real kick. Combine your creative juices with crabapple juice, additives such as rose geranium and garden mints, and create a whole range of subtly different jellies.”

Another option: Lee’s “Nearly Famous ‘Dolgo’ Crabapple Butter”:

Start by making sauce with 8 pounds of ‘Dolgo’ crabapple fruit. Wash the fruit and place them in a large kettle. Cover with water. Heat to a boil and simmer until fruit starts to soften. Drain and process fruit through a mill.

To the sauce, add 3 pounds of sugar; 2 quarts of cider; 1 tablespoon of cinnamon; and 1 teaspoon of cloves. Simmer the mixture in a kettle over low heat or use a large crockpot. Cook two to four hours or to desired thickness. Stir occasionally (the house will smell great). Pour off hot butter into jars and process in a hot water bath or freeze.

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