Small Batch Crab Apple Sauce with Rosemary
Inspired by the apple galettes with rosemary and sea salt that we tasted at our local farmers' market, this crabapple with rosemary preserve stands out due to its unparalleled flavor, versatility, and gourmet appeal.
Equipment
- large pot with a heavy bottom
- wooden spoon
- large bowl
- colander with large holes
- potholders, oven mitts, trivets for hot dishes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs crabapples
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ small lemon juiced, not more than 1 tbsp.
- ¾ cup water
- 1 small sprig of rosemary
Instructions
Prepare the Crabapples:
- Begin by giving the crabapples a thorough wash. Keep the skin on but remove stems, calyxes, and any bruised or spoiled spots.
- Cut the apples in half, and if they're large, into quarters.
Mix and Steep:
- In a suitable-sized, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the cut crabapples, lemon juice, water, rosemary sprig, salt, and sugar. Mix everything together.
- Allow the pot to sit for about an hour to let the sugar and salt dissolve.
Simmer, Steep, Simmer:
- Place the pot over low heat and gently bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the crabapples cook for 15 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let the crabapples mixture steep for 6-8 hours or even overnight.
- Return the crabapples to the stove and, using medium-low heat, slowly bring them to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the crabapples simmer for 10 minutes.
Mash and Strain Cooked Crabapples:
- Let the pot cool down a bit. Using a potato masher, gently mash the stewed crabapples.
- In the next step, you'll need a large bowl and a colander with large holes ready. Place the colander on top of the bowl to catch the juices and crabapple pulp. Transfer the pot contents to the colander and, using a silicon spatula or a large metal spoon, press the mashed crabapples against the colander's holes, pushing the pulp and juices through.
Simmer and Prepare Crabapple Sauce For Canning:
- Return the crabapple pulp and juices to the pot and slowly bring them to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
- Allow the sauce to simmer for an additional 30 minutes for a runnier consistency, or up to 40 minutes for a thicker jam. Be sure to stir regularly.(!) While the crabapple sauce is cooking, begin preparing the Mason jars. It's important to have your jars ready at this point, because the next step, filling them with piping hot jam, must follow immediately.
Notes
The quantity of ingredients listed in this recipes yielded one 8 oz (250 ml) of crabapple sauce for canning, with some left over to enjoy right away. The number of jars required may vary depending on the desired sauce consistency.