Crab Apples! What to Do With Them?

We picked a lot of crab apples tonight and the big question seemed to be: what to do with them? They must have been a popular fruit at one point because so many yards have crab apple trees.

Lots and lots of crab apples.

Our volunteers Ethelda and Rebecca recalled eating them as children canned whole in syrup. Probably much like peaches or pears, but with a lot less prep time.

Of course, there are the old standbys: crab apple jelly - which I recall eating as a child - or crab apple sauce if you're feeling really ambitious.

Volunteers Stacey and Julie.

After a little looking, I came across an excellent idea: crab apple chutney! The same site also suggested roasting crab apples whole with cinnamon (probably akin to baked apples, but on a smaller scale). Or how about crab apple butter or crab apple cider sorbert?

Thank you again to the volunteers who came out to pick tonight - we certainly couldn't do it without you! 

It seems that there are all sorts of great ideas to be found for using up those crab apples! Tell us, what do you do with yours? We love hearing new ideas!

Recipe: Flourless Apple Pancakes (Gluten-free)

Need to eat apples for breakfast, lunch and dinner right now? Here's a recipe we really like:

Flourless Apple Pancakes

1 large apple, cored and grated (or 2-3 small)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, or extra to taste
Butter or coconut oil for frying

Pre-heat your griddle. Beat the eggs and cinnamon and then prepare your apple. Grate your apples and squeeze out the juice (preferably into a cup for drinking later). Mix the grated remains into the eggs. Scoop one heaping tablespoon of batter onto a greased griddle and wait until they firm up enough to flip. If you get liquid oozing out the sides, push it back and up the sides of the pancake to keep them looking respectable.

One recipe is good for one person, so double, triple or quadruple as needed. Keep them warm in the oven at low heat (170°) until they're ready to be served all at once. Plate, top with maple syrup and dig in.

Apples, Apples & More Apples

Grow 'N' Share would like to thank homeowner Robert for sharing his big, beautiful apples with us! They're crisp and tart and we're wishing we knew the variety!

We're unsure of the variety... Battleford, maybe?

Volunteers this week harvested over 222 pounds of delicious apples that will go on to become apple sauce, crisps, juice and nourishment for people in need! It's amazing how fast an apple tree gets picked when a group of volunteers comes together.

Rebecca in the foreground and our nimble 'monkey' Sarah way up the tree in the back.

If you're interested in apples, but are unsure about going up a ladder, rest assured there are plenty of other jobs available onsite besides climbing trees to the top like our Sarah. Ladders need to be held, buckets of apples need to be passed down from up high, and the ground needs to be cleared of fallen apples and debris.

We hope you'll come out to join us at our next picking!

Hurray for Apples!

Grow 'N' Share picked its first apple tree this week - an excellent early eating variety that was both juicy and sweet! A big thank you goes out to our hosts, Diane and Jim, for not only sharing their apples with us, but for keeping us company and helping out while we picked.

Thanks also goes to the fun group of volunteers for helping make the picking time go by so quickly! We had the tree gleaned in just over an hour, with over 230 pounds of fruit in bins to divvy up and donate afterwards!

Looks yummy, doesn't it. Interested in volunteering to pick some fruit? Contact us!