Crab apples are the small, sour fruits that grow on flowering crabapple trees. Their puckering taste leads some people to wonder – are crab apples safe to eat? Or are they poisonous?
The short answer is that crab apples are not poisonous to humans. While eating them raw would provide a mouthful of tartness, crabapples can be enjoyed cooked in recipes where sugar balances out their flavor. However, the seeds contain a compound related to cyanide, so those should not be eaten.
What Are Crab Apples?
Crab apple trees belong to the genus Malus, the same genus as regular apple trees. But crabapples are much smaller, rarely exceeding two inches in diameter. Unlike the sweet apples we’re used to eating, crab apples are extremely sour and bitter when raw. There are over 100 cultivars of crabapple trees that produce fruits in various colors like red, yellow, and green.
These trees are popular for their ornamental blossoms in spring. And while their fruit is tart, crab apples serve as an important food source for birds and other wildlife.
Are Crab Apples Toxic?
The flesh of raw crab apples is perfectly safe for human consumption. However, the seeds contain amygdalin, a compound that breaks down into hydrogen cyanide when ingested. This is the same toxin found in apple seeds and cherry pits.
So while the pulp is not poisonous at all you should avoid eating the core and seeds of crab apples. As long as you spit out this central part crabapples are not toxic.
Do Crab Apples Taste Good?
People often describe the flavor of raw crab apples like an extremely sour or bitter apple. They don’t resemble the sweetness of a Fuji or Honeycrisp apple at all.
Some varieties of crab apples are more palatable than others when picked straight from the tree But most people do not enjoy eating them raw, The intense tartness overwhelms the subtle apple flavor
Cooking crab apples with sugar is the best way to make them taste good. The sweetener balances and mellows their sour bite. Baked goods like pies, tarts, muffins, and jellies are perfect for crab apples. When combined with sugar and spices, their apple essence shines through.
How to Tell if Crab Apples Are Ripe
It can be tricky figuring out when crab apples are ready to pick. Here are a few ways to know if they’re ripe:
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Cut the crab apple open and look at the seeds. If they are brown rather than white or green, that indicates ripeness.
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Press gently on the fruit. If it feels slightly squishy and tender, it’s ripe for picking. An unripe crab apple will be hard.
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Taste test! A ripe crab apple will still be quite sour but not overwhelmingly bitter. Avoid any with astringent or metallic flavors.
Pick crab apples that are firm but yielding. Discard any with mushy spots or damage. Then store ripe crab apples in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
How to Use Crab Apples
Thanks to their high pectin content, crab apples are excellent for making jelly and jam. Their tart flavor comes through beautifully when combined with herbs, spices, or sweeteners. Some tasty ways to use crab apples:
- Crab apple pie, cobbler, or crisp
- Spiced crab apple jelly
- Crab apple chutney
- Apple cider vinegar made from crab apples
- Crab apple fruit leather
- Dried crab apple rings
If you come across an abundant crop of crab apples, get creative in the kitchen! Just be sure to remove the seeds first. A food mill or sieve can help separate out the toxic cores.
Are Crab Apples Safe to Eat?
Crab apples offer a nutritious snack for wildlife. And humans can take advantage of their sour flavor too, as long as the seeds are avoided. The fruits themselves are 100% edible and not poisonous at all.
While crab apples may be too tart to enjoy raw, their sharp taste mellows out beautifully when cooked. So don’t let those prolific crabapple trees go to waste next fall. Collect the bounty and whip up some homemade jelly, chutney, or baked goods. Just be sure to discard the cores first.
What’s the difference between crabapples and regular apples?
Crabapples are the wild version of the domesticated apples we grow for eating. They’re all members of the Malus genus, but while eating apples have been bred over the centuries for size and flavour, crabapple trees have been bred mainly for their decorative value and flowers. Generally speaking, if the fruit is less than 5cm in diameter it’s a crabapple and anything larger than that is just an apple.
How do you know when crabapples are ready to pick?
Crabapples are usually ready to harvest between late September and October. To check if your crabapples are ripe, cut one open and look at the pips – they should be dark brown. If you taste the fruit, it should be sour but not nightmarishly sour. Once you’ve harvested them, use your crabapples quickly or freeze them, because they bruise easily.
Is a crab apple tree poisonous to children? – Ms. Sushma Jaiswal
FAQ
Can you eat raw crab apples?
Yes, crab apples are generally safe to eat raw, but they are typically very tart and not as enjoyable to eat raw as regular apples.
What happens if a kid eats a crab apple?
Crab apples are not toxic to humans. This is a fact backed by science, despite the common misconception. The flesh of these fruits is completely safe to eat.Feb 15, 2024
Can you eat crab apples straight from the tree?
Generally, they’re too tart to eat raw, but their appliness is intense when cooked. Crab apples have a really high pectin content, great for jams and jellies.Oct 24, 2018
Can crab apples upset your stomach?
And while it’s true that the acid in raw crab apples may leave you with an upset stomach if too many are eaten at once, cooked crab apples have become a key ingredient in some of my favorite recipes.