Cambridge Cooks: Crab Apple Jelly Cambridge Cooks: Crab Apple Jelly

Photos: Debra Pearlman

It's that time of year...time to clean up the garden and can the veggies. It's also a great time to pick the crab apples and turn them into a wonderful treat. So here is a simple way to turn sour into sweet:

WHAT YOU NEED:

5 pounds of whole crab apples
5 cups water
2 (4 ounce) blocks paraffin
1 (1 3/4 ounce) box Sure-Jell
8 cups granulated sugar

WHAT YOU DO:

1. Wash apples and remove blossom ends. Leave crab apples whole. Do not peel or core.
2. Add water to apples; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Crush with masher and simmer 5 minutes longer.
4. Place in jelly bag and allow to drip overnight for clearest jelly (A cotton handkerchief clipped with clothes pins to a strainer or colander makes a very handy jelly bag.)
NOTE: If in a hurry, juice may be squeezed out. There should be about 7 cups of juice. If there is slight shortage of juice, add water.
5. Sterilize jars and lids; drain.
6. Melt paraffin in a heavy glass jar in boiling water. Mix fruit pectin with juice in a 6-8 quart saucepan over high heat.
7. Bring to a hard boil, stirring occasionally.
8. Add sugar at once.
NOTE: You can substitute Splenda to reduce the calorie count
9. Bring to a hard rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, stirring constantly.
10. Boil 1 minute, remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon.
11. Pour into jelly glasses, leaving 1/2 inch space at top, and cover with melted paraffin.
12. Jelly will keep in refrigerator for 2 month without paraffin but sealed with lid.
13. Allow jelly to sit for 24 hours before moving to storage,

Crab apples make a tart jelly.

Yields 12-13 half pints.