homemade, tangy crabapple sauce

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Crabapple sauce is the perfect snack if you’re like me and prefer tangy flavors to sweet flavors. It’s perfect for pairing with a biscuit or sourdough crackers for a delectable, mouth watering, jaw tingling afternoon snack.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do love a good sweet but I tend to lean towards sour and tangy flavors. Let’s just say that my mouth still waters when I think of Warheads candy from my childhood. It’s a delicious pain.

Now you can use this recipe with any apple flavor so it’s up to your flavor preference.

I had initially set out to create an apple jam, and while I still use this as a jam, this recipe tends more to the consistency of an applesauce. It’s a versatile recipe!

why use this crabapple sauce recipe?

things to consider when making crabapple sauce

This crabapple sauce recipe is ridiculously simple and easy to make, but there are a few things to consider before breaking out your tools.

how long will this recipe stay fresh?

If you water bath can this recipe, you’re good to go for years.

But if not, I’ve left it in the fridge for a couple of weeks and it’s still great! Trust your nose and eyes.

However our sauce doesn’t last very long around here unless I’ve made a large batch. It’s delicious!

how long will this recipe take to make?

That depends on your stovetop and your apples chosen. This recipe cooks QUICK! So don’t step away for an extended period of time. It doesn’t take long for the water to evaporate and the sauce to reach the correct consistency.

why are the crabapples used green?

Crabapples can be difficult to source unless you have a local option. We are blessed with a couple of crabapple trees on our homestead that provide wonderfully sour fruit.

We have Malus sylvestris trees which are a European crabapple. Depending on the tree, crabapples can be eaten when the peel is green, yellow, or red. Your best bet to know when to pick them is to watch when the fruit starts to drop off the tree.

I tend to pick ours early because of the wildlife pressure coinciding when the apples drop (they drop green). I won’t be wasting these sour apples so picking them earlier also creates a more sour flavor. Crabapples will sweeten up a bit as they ripen.

Be careful! The seeds are poisonous so toss those and the core when making this recipe.

I used the PlantNet app to identify our trees.

if the crabapples are on the ground, can they still be used?

Yes! I don’t disregard apples on the ground unless they’re rotten or half-eaten. Use your best judgement.

Any apples past their useful life go to our animals or are left for wildlife.

can I use other apples with this recipe?

Yep! You’re not limited to just sour or tangy apples. Any apple will work with this recipe.

the tools for crabapple sauce

the edible supplies for crabapple sauce

To get started making this recipe, you’ll first want to gather all your ingredients.

the steps

Step 1: Rinse and peel your crabapples. Chop them up into tiny pieces to fit in a measuring cup. Alternatively you can put the apples in a food processor if you want a smoother applesauce.

Don’t forget to compost your peels and cores or feed the peels only to your livestock.

Step 2: Put all the ingredients in a pot on the stovetop and start at low heat until the honey melts. Then turn to medium-low heat.

Step 3: Stir continuously until the consistency you desire is reached. It’s a chunky applesauce texture but the apple chunks break down the more they’re cooked. No need to cook to a gelling point because this is applesauce and not jam.

Step 4: Remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to a glass container.

Now enjoy your mouth watering and jaw tingling applesauce or jam on your favorite bread, biscuit, or cracker recipe!

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Here are some of the supplies that I used when making this homemade, tangy crabapple sauce recipe!

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homemade, tangy crabapple sauce

Sweet sauces are great, but this tangy crabapple sauce or jam hits the spot for those of us who grew up on Warheads.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Cook Time:5 minutes mins

Total Time:10 minutes mins

Equipment

• 1 pan for boiling the sauce
• 1 cutting board
• 1 knife
• 1 peeler
• 1 one cup measuring cup
• 1 1/3 cup measuring cup
• 1 long wooden spoon
• 1 glass container with lid
• 1 metal spoon if your honey is crystallized

Ingredients

• 2 rounded cups apple chunks
• 1 lemon juice
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

• Rinse and peel your crabapples. Chop them up into tiny pieces to fit in a measuring cup. Alternatively you can put the apples in a food processor if you want a smoother applesauce.
• Put all the ingredients in a pot on the stovetop and turn to medium-low heat.
• Stir continuously until the consistency you desire is reached. It's a chunky applesauce texture.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to a glass container.

Notes

This recipe will cook quickly! Don’t step away from the stove.

While this is a tangy recipe, any apple can be substituted for your flavor preference.