Jusr moved to South Dakota and I have discovered a few crabapple trees in my windbreak. I want to make some jelly but having never used crabapples before I don't know when they are ripe. My guess is after the first frost. Am I right? Also have a tree with small green apples on it. Any one from South or North Dakota with a guess of what kind of apple treee would be planted in a windbreak? Barb

-- Barb (mbranch@pop.ctctel.com), September 03, 2001

Answers

Barb, here in Indiana the crabapples are usually ripe by now. They are a very deep crimson red when ripe. I have had a great crop this year and have made tons of jelly now. I have read several recipes though that say the crabapples can be slightly underripe for jelly. I have use a bit of both and came out with the same great jelly everytime.

-- Kim in Indiana (kwcountrygirl@aol.com), September 03, 2001.

One way to tell when crabapples are ripe is that you will start to see some of them on the ground. We have a bright red variety here (SW Iowa) that is mostly ripe now (it is either Dolgo or Whitney) and a duller red variey that isn't quite ready yet.

-- fred (fred@mddc.com), September 04, 2001.

Thanks! Now I will have to get the courage up to wade through the head-tall weeds (probably full of ticks) to get another look at them. They looked almost all red in one tree but not in another. This 100 degree heat should turn them fast. Never made crabapple jelly but it looks easy and I need something cheap to give for Christmas. Barb

-- Barb (MBRanch@pop.ctctel.com), September 04, 2001.

Nothing In the world tastes as good as whole spiced crabapples [ unless it was grammas rasseberry jam]those would be a great gift to.

-- kathy h (ckhart55@earthlink.net), September 04, 2001.

Okay, now I am really confused. I thought ah ha spiced crabapples, I know what those are. But these are the size of cherries - like hawthorn berries but no thorns. On looking up crabapples in my tree books, it says they are small greenish yellow apples.. That must be the green apples I could't identify. They are turning slightly yellow now. But what are the little red ones? They are the size of a cherry and I seem to have two varieties. Also I found another small apple (size of small walnut) that looks like a minature macintosh (green/red with small white dots). I would ask the extension agent but he is so far away. Any ideas? Coming from Michigan where there is lots of fruit to South Dakota, I'm excited to find any sort of fruit that I can use.

-- Barb (MBRanch@pop.ctctel.com), September 06, 2001.