Oh, the elusive crab apple. Can’t find them anywhere. Crab apple jelly is my favorite . . well, so is peach and cherry and no telling what else. I love homemade bread with a little butter (or a lot!) and jelly or jam. Last year I didn’t get any crab apples and the crab apple jelly I made in 2008 is long gone. This year was not going to pass without me finding some crab apples somewhere. Last weekend we went traipsing through the woods to see the crab apple tress there and they weren’t ripe yet.
Vince has asked everyone at work if they know where there’s a crab apple tree and most people look at him like he’s asking for something really weird. One guy at work said he might have one in his yard but he was going to pick some and bring for Vince to look at today.
Yesterday, nevermind that I had planned to sew all day, Vince wanted to go to Joplin. He needed more shelves from Sam’s and I knew he wanted them badly, and he needed more plastic fencing so he could plant the new trees and I want those planted badly, so we went to Joplin. As we were driving through town, I happened to look over in a parking lot and the trees that were planted in the corners of a business parking lot were crab apple trees!
And they were loaded!
The ground was covered in crab apples that had fallen from the tree so I knew they were ripe enough to pick.
Finding those trees surely made my day!
After taking a picture with my cell phone and sending it to Dad to confirm that they were crab apples, we picked a box full. People were driving by, probably wondering what on earth those things were, or maybe they were feeling sorry for the people who were having to forage for food!
There won’t be a shortage of crab apple jelly this year and until my own tree starts making fruit, I know where there’s a very good supply of crab apples!
Maria Stahl says
So you didn’t actually ask the people if you could have them, do I understand this correctly?
Judy Laquidara says
Yep, that’s the kind of people we are! We see something we want and we just take it!
Of course we asked and I’m a bit offended you ask if we asked. The store manager said take all you want. They just fall on the parking lot and make a mess.
Maria Stahl says
Very glad to hear it. It didn’t sound like you – but the way the story told, it was hard to tell. And I regret offending you.
There’s a whole website devoted to where to get fruit that’s just sitting there not being harvested. They call it gleaning, and if it’s truly going to waste and up for grabs, then I’m all for it, but this website actually advocates taking anything that’s not tied down – reaching over fences with peach-pickers to take fruit off people’s trees, etc.
My father in law came out to visit us just before his blueberries were about to be ripe. He came home expecting them to be at their peak. Instead, they were all gone. Nobody ever confessed, either.
Ruth says
What would we do without cellphones that are also cameras!
Carmi says
That’s great news you found your crab apples. Now I wish I could find my wild plums. I have the same fondness for wild plum jelly and jam as you do with crab apples.
Liz says
I collect wild persimmons from a local city park after the weather turns cold, though I do have to hurry before the squirrels get them. I shake the trees and pick up the ones that fall on the ground. Of course, the shoes have to be throughly cleaned because they get full of the fruit and seeds by walking around the area.
I’m just doing my civic duty in picking up the fruit!
Amy says
If those are crab apples, what are those bumpy green things that I have been calling crab apples? (Horse apples?)
Liz says
Check out osage oranges on the web. Those things are also called horse apples.
Cynthia H., El Cerrito, CA says
Um….”horse apples” is a euphemism for…horse poop. I sure hope it doesn’t grow on trees!
Bumpy green things? Are they ripe when green? What part of the country are they in?
Liz says
Osage oranges are in the southwest – OK and TX. Here is a reference – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maclura_pomifera
You don’t eat them, unless you want to get sick. It is ok for some animals.
Cynthia H., El Cerrito, CA says
Great article; thank you! It mentions them being called “hedge apples” in the ’30s and ’40s but thankfully not “horse apples.” *whew*
Amy says
That’s them – thanks a bunch!
Helen in Switzerland says
Oh it’s amazing what a girl on a mission can achieve! You guys are incredible – and I certainly wish I lived next door!!!
Sandy says
I haven’t had crab apple jelly for years. My best friend talked me into helping her pick them and the jelly was good. So glad you found them, Judy. Vince might remind you of it next time he wants to go somewhere, and you don’t, lol. And…..it saved the store from picking up the apples!
Michele G says
Oh Happy Day! Don’t you just love a surprise like that? It’s like a gift from God! I’m so glad you got your crab apples, Judy. I just love your stories. Michele G
Karen Langseth says
You will have a share a jar of jelly with the manager I’m sure he will enjoy it. Our crab apples won’t be ready for a couple of weeks.
Rose says
We had a crab apple tree until about 5 years ago. The deer left the apples alone for 20 years, then discovered our tree and ate lots of them and left huge poop piles also. The bear never bothered them–guess they prefer sweet apples. Convinced DH that tree needed to be chopped down because I was very tired of raking the little apples as even the deer didn’t eat them all. There is no easy way to pick up those tiny apples–I tried every method I could think of. People wanted the apples but none of them volunteered to pick the buggers. Apple trees are supposed to bear fruit every other year (or so I am told), but our crab apple tree was loaded with fruit EVERY year just like the picture you have on your blog. You may want to rethink having your own crab apple tree–they are a huge nuisance.
Robin says
Well I have a crab apple tree and even though I Know nothing about them I know they aren’t ripe. I’m hoping that my crab apple tree will pollinate my apple tree come spring ( that is if the apple tree lives until spring!- right now it’s not looking very good) I read many articles on the internet that you could use the crab apple to cross pollinate with you r apple trees so I’m hoping that is so.
Becky R says
Well I’m glad you found your crab apples, even though the day didn’t go the way you had originally planned. Maybe some day this month you’ll be able to get back downstairs for some sewing time.
Pat says
I’ve never had crab apple jelly….if I lived near you, I’d hope for a tiny taste to see whether or not I liked it!
Darlene S says
Judy, I have a crab apple bush looking plant that I thought was some kind of flowering bush for at least 5 years. There was nothing that looked like apples on it, ever. Now this year there are some small green apple-like fruit there. Perhaps these are crab apples?? I’m afraid to try to make anything with them until someone can identify them for me. If they turn red, I may pick some and ask around. Please post your crab apple recipe some where in case they are.
Thanks. Dar
Cheryl Hartzog says
Finally I know what this tree is !! I went with my husband to the VA Eye clinic in Tampa last month , they had alot of these tree’s planted along the front walkway ,they were loaded with fruit ! I had no idea what kind it was , one lady said it looked kind of like a peach tree ,I said I did not think so because they were so small ! I eve took a picture of them hoping to find out about them .Thank you for Posting about this !
liz in calgary says
Hey Judy, up here in beautiful sunny Calgary, ya right, our crab apples aren’t ready until after the first frost…. that’s sometime in September. This year it could be the end of July….
Bev in Colorado says
OK, I have a neighbor with a crab apple tree and I told her I would help her make the jelly, etc. My question is how does one know when the apples are ripe enough to eat?
Susan says
Your “foraging” for food made me laugh. Good thing they don’t know what they’re missing! Those look just perfect. And you can go back to the woods when those are ripe and get more!