Crab Apple Jelly (Old-Fashioned Full-Sugar or Reduced-Sugar with Pectin)
This crab apple jelly recipe makes a clear, beautifully set jelly with a subtle touch of green cardamom. Choose the classic, old-fashioned crab apple jelly made with equal parts crab apple juice and sugar, or try our reduced-sugar crab apple jelly recipe version with Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Instructions for both recipe versions and canning directions are included.
Servings: 5 half-pint (~250 ml) jars
Cost: $1
Equipment
- Fine-mesh strainer
- 2 layers of cheesecloth
- large bowl
- large pot with a heavy bottom
- stainless steel spoon for stirring
- Half-pint canning jars with lids and bands
- Water bath canner or Atmospheric steam canner
Ingredients
For both versions: Crabapple Juice (makes 5 cups of strained juice (about 1.2 L))
- 2 lb crab apples, (907 g) fresh
- 1 quart water, (1000 ml) enough to cover the fruit
- 10 whole dry green cardamom pods (approx. 2 g)
A. For Classic Version only - Add:
- 5 cups granulated sugar, (about 1000 g)
B. Alternatively, For Low-Sugar Version - Add:
- 3¼ cups granulated sugar: 3 cups for the juice + ¼ cup reserved for the pectin, (650 g) total
- ⅜ tsp Pomona's Universal Pectin, (approx. 1.2 g)
Instructions
Make the juice (both versions);
- Wash the crab apples.
- Remove stems, blossom ends and blemishes with a paring knife.
- Quarter the fruit. Don't peel or core it.
- Put the fruit in a large pot. Add the water and cardamom pods.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat.
- Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring as needed, until the fruit is soft.
- Line a fine-mesh strainer with two layers of cheesecloth. Set it over a large bowl.
- Pour in the fruit and liquid.
- Let it drain 1–2 hours without pressing.
- Optional: gently press the cloth for extra juice.
- Measure 5 cups of juice into a clean pot. If your yield differs, scale the sugar for the classic version. Don't assume the low-sugar quantities scale.
A. Classic version:
- Add the sugar. Use 1 cup of sugar for every 1 cup of crab apple juice. For 5 cups of juice, add 5 cups of sugar.
- Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Boil briskly until the jelly sheets from a metal spoon, about 10–15 minutes. Timing varies.
- Put a spoonful on a chilled plate. Wait briefly, then push it with a finger.
- If it doesn't wrinkle, keep boiling for another 5 minutes and test again.
B. Low-sugar version:
- Add 3 cups sugar to the 5 cups of juice.
- Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Boil about 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix ⅜ teaspoon Pomona's pectin with the reserved ¼ cup sugar. Mix thoroughly. We do not use or recommend using the calcium packet provided with Pomona's to make this jelly.
- Add the pectin-sugar mixture gradually to the hot juice, stirring constantly.
- Cook and stir another 5 minutes. Don't let it scorch.
- Test the set on a chilled plate.
Fill the jars (both versions)
- Remove the pot from the heat. Skim off the foam.
- Ladle hot jelly into hot, sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch (6 mm) headspace.
- Wipe the rims.
- Apply lids and bands fingertip-tight.
- Process in a boiling-water canner or atmospheric steam canner using the processing table below.
Notes
Once the crab apples have drained, you can recover more juice by gently squeezing the pulp. Gather all four corners of the cheesecloth and lift it into a little sack, then carefully press the pulp at the bottom to release the remaining juice. We recovered another 1¼ cups this way. That’s the juice you can use to make more jelly, rather than leaving it behind with the pulp.