Ann Hartley
No, it is not superstition. But seeing these tiny yet flamboyant blossoms open up like popcorn on the branches of the crabapple tree in the spring does mean apple butter in the fall. Crabapples do not always indicate whether they are ripe or not by the color, but if you slice one open and the seeds are brown-skinned that means the fruit is ready to harvest. The brown skins are also our assurance that the small amount of cyanide in the seeds will stay in the seeds, so we can cook the gnarly little apples whole without worrying about toxicity. Many different kinds of fruit have seeds contain small amounts of cyanide so it is unfair to single out apple seeds in this regard, and furthermore the cyanide in apple seeds and stems does not bioaccumulate. That means it does not build up in your system, so even if you eat a few seeds every now and then it would not be harmful. Nevertheless, I cut the stems and bottoms out of all apples before consuming them because I believe that is where the most of the pesticide residue is concentrated, and probably the cyanide as well.
One of the many things I love about fall is crabapple butter. Since a little crab apple flavor goes a long ways, however, I mix a few regular apples into my recipe.. The crabapples are rich in pectin and they give the apple butter a wonderful flavor and gorgeous texture. The regular apples are less tart which means I can add less sugar to the mix.
I have not tried this butter yet ….
This past summer the tree did not bear fruit. This was the first time in over 30 years that it was barren.
I love the contrast between the bark and the blossom. I haven’t tried crabapple butter, now I am curious what it is like.
I think it is delicious because of the combination of sweet and tart. A bit of a pain to pain (stains easily) but SO delicious.
Great post. I love apple butter. I have never tried crab apples though.
We once picked a whole pickup truck full of apples. We made a lot of apple butter that year!
They are messy to clean and cook, but just a few crabapples will make apple butter even better, Kim.
With closeup from the camera we can see the veins running through the petals like wings on a butterfly.
That was a great post & I’m relieved to know that cyanide naturally occurs in apples. Hearing people tell me my kids apple juice contained cyanide was giving me a real headache, Obviously they’ve lived as evident in my Cape Cod vacation posts. Maybe I’ll go drink a tall glass of iced apple cyanide juice before I read another post…
I’ll see your iced apple cyanide and raise you arsenic & orange juice…
Seconds on the orange juice Alex, just be sure to add a little baking soda.
Who doesn’t put sodium bicarbonate in their OJ?
Nobody I know! Just don’t put apple butter in it, yuck!
Thank you Paul, they tell everyone their kids are drinking arsenic, but it is actually cyanide, but in such tiny quantity it probably acts as a vital nutrient rather than something toxic. Remember when moms used to tell their kid they would “eat a peck of dirt” before they died?
My mom used to say that to me. Now she’s 91 and I have to fight with her to get her to eat vegetables. Karma is a weird thing.
God bless you mom, Paul. My late best friend was 90 when I met him and I used to put fresh spinach in his chocolate vitamin shakes. He would not eat it cooked on a plate so we fixed that. He almost made it to 100, BTW.
Are you new here? I just noticed you today. If so welcome, if not where have you been hiding.
Yes, Trenna Sue, this is my first week here. Love it, and thank you for the welcome.
A good post, something new I learned the code is wonderful
Thank you Branka, I really love crabapple butter.
I have not had crabapple butter. The bloom is beautiful. I an imagine how good the butter would be.
Same here. I am trying to imagine a tart butter, but it isn’t clear what that would taste like…
There is no butter in it, Alex, and it tastes a little like apple jelly with a consistency more like applesauce, but much smoother, and it has a richer flavor.
Then why call it butter? Are you just trying to confuse me? It isn’t nice to pick on blondes…
And now I just want to turn crabapples into butter
Speaking of blondes, Alex, wait until you see my next post, the one about thistles. I hope you will ask then how they got their names.
As for the crabapple butter, a blogger named Hula Hank wrote that “Apple butter is smooth and spreads thick over toast.” That is probably why our ancient ancestors called it butter, because of the way it spread. In case you have never eaten any, Hank also sets you up for the experience by saying, ” When you take that first bite, one should taste crisp autumn mornings and hay rides through the changing trees.”
See, Carol, Alex has kept me so entertained that I am just now getting around to thanking you for your nice reply. The apple butter is just about the color of that flower, too. After seeing the gnarled and lumpy little apples you would never guess how pretty they cook up.
You should never let me distract you from thanking Carol. Keep your priorities in order, young lady…
You are so right, Alex. As I am fairly sure I am old enough to have been your mother, I should set a better example.
I’m older than sin, and you are sixteen (going on seventeen) so you’ve made a math error somewhere…