Crab-Apple Jelly & A Grounded Motherhood

A story about early motherhood, first gardens, a crab-apple tree - and the habit of canning the fruits of the season.

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The kind of afternoon that makes the whole summer worth it.

Years ago, when I was a new mother, I had the great fortune to be able to stay home with my babies and generally be the earth mother I was always meant to be. I cooked from scratch, sewed our clothes, and at summer's end canned everything in sight.

In the beginning I built narrow little garden beds on the outside of our fence, with snow peas, cucumbers and pole beans borrowing space from the sunny park-facing side of the fence. (One neighbour did call the city to report my gardens, but it was determined the fence was inside the property line and our little gardens were safe.) I had a raised bed by the back door for salad greens, and pots scattered around our little back patio for tomatoes and onions.

But like most gardeners, I wanted more space! So my husband built a retaining wall at the back of the property and I hauled dirt for days to fill the 3' deep level space he had created from what had been our sloping back lawn. A wonderful, sunny 10x10 garden plot grew carrots and onions, beans and squash that spilled over the retaining wall and across our parking area. I planted blueberry bushes and raspberries along the fence, and the littles had their wooden swing set/climbing tower a few feet away.

Clear amber jelly — worth every minute of the waiting.

The year my oldest started school we knew we needed more house space. Our new, bigger property was over-filled with trees, leaving no space to grow a garden. The house was a bit of a wreck, having been a rental with no upkeep for years. Patching and painting and renovating took over my time. We were a ½ hour walk to the grocery store, and I would take the littles and a wagon, and we would load up with cases of blueberries, cherries, peaches and tomatoes to can in their season.

Once the trees of our little suburban forest were removed from the backyard, we were left with one huge Maple and a Crab-Apple tree, and a fully shaded yard. Every fall we picked crab-apples and filled jars and jars with crab-apple sauce and jelly.

(Later I would also can Grandma Stark's piccalilli in the fall, but that’s another story).

I loved more than anything being able to be home with my littles, but once the youngest started full-time school, I wasn't as thrilled to be home alone every day. I volunteered a LOT at the school. We got a dog, who was silly and needy, but she grew up too. Life was changing. I went back to work.

Crab-Apple Jelly (No Pectin)

Makes approximately 4–6 × 250ml jars · Scales with your harvest

Ingredients

Ingredients — per 1 lb of crab-apples

• 1 lb crab-apples

• 1 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tsp lemon juice

Equipment

• 250ml / half-pint canning jars + new lids

• Water bath canner

• Large pot (jelly pot or pasta pot)

• Steam juicer (optional — see below)

• Hanging Jelly bag or two layers of cheesecloth to make a bag

• Canning funnel + jar lifter

• Candy thermometer (or use the plate test)

Getting the Juice

If you have the good fortune of owning a steam juicer, life just got so much easier! I had a friend who loaned me hers one year and let me tell you, it was a game changer!  Wash the crab-apples, add water to the juicer, bring to a boil and collect the juice. That's it.

If you do not have this little luxury, wash the crab-apples and add with the water to a jelly pot (or pasta pot). Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to low. Mash the apples, then cook for 10 minutes more on lowest possible heat. Pour the mixture into a hanging jelly bag and allow to drain and cool completely without squeezing – at least an hour. Seriously, don’t squeeze the jelly bag. Not even a little. Squeezing forces cloudy pectin through the cloth and you'll lose that beautiful clear amber colour that makes this jelly special. The waiting is part of it.

Making the Jelly

1. Measure your strained juice and add an equal amount of sugar. The liquid will reduce by about half during cooking — gauge your jar count from half the volume of juice you produce.

2. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until temperature reaches 220F on a candy thermometer.

3. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, do the “plate test” by dropping a spoonful of jelly onto a cold (right from the freezer) plate, running your finger through the dollop and seeing if each separated side holds its shape. (Using this method I tended to over-cook my jelly and it could be darker and firm like jello rather than a bright and spreadable jelly). 

4. Stir in the lemon juice, then ladle immediately into prepared 250ml jars, leaving 1 cm (½ inch) of headspace. Wipe rims, screw on lids to finger-tight.

5. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove and cool undisturbed for 24 hours. You'll hear the lids pop as they seal — the sound of success!

If you're looking for something slow cook while you’re working, our Smoky Pulled Pork is a perfect end to a canning day.