Crab Apple Butter is a delicious novelty from my homestead. It’s sweet, tart, and has a beautiful pink color. I love giving it as a gift to friends and family. It’s a perfect conversation starter.
If you like Crab Apple Butter, you might like to make How to Make Crab Apple Jelly and Crab Apple Sauce.
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Tools you will need for making Crab Apple Butter:
Paring knife
A large sauce pan
Bowl or another pan to run the food mill over
Measuring cups and spoons
Prepared canning jars and lids
Clean damp cloth
Cooling rack or clean, dry towel
Ingredients for Crab Apple Butter
4 to 6 pounds crab apples
*Select crab apples that are fresh, ripe, firm, and blemish free. Wash and quarter your apples, keeping the seeds.
1 cup water
4 cups of pure cane sugar
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
Instructions for Crab Apple Butter
Place your washed and quartered crab apples in a large sauce pan, add 1 cup of water to start the cooking process, and heat to simmering.
Cook until apples are softened, stirring them often to keep them from sticking to the pan.
Run apples through a food mill or sieve. Measure 4 cups of crab apple pulp and return to your sauce pan, bring to a simmer. For every 4 cups of crab apple pulp, add 4 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon cloves.
Slowly, simmer the crab apple pulp until it is your desired thickness, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Fruit butters usually have a thick, creamy spreadable consistency. It will look a little shiny and cling to your spoon.
Refrigerate and enjoy it now…or can it for later.
Canning Crab Apple Butter
Ladle your crab apple butter into hot prepared jars to within ½ inch of the rim of the jar. Wipe the rim of your jar with a clean, damp cloth. Place your lids onto your jars, making sure the rubber seal meets the jar rim. Screw on the metal ring/band firmly.
Use a jar lifter to place your jars of crab apple butter in to a boiling water bath. Process your crab apple butter for 10 minutes (time indicated for 1,000 feet above sea level).
When the time is complete turn off the heat, remove the canner lid, and allow the canner to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove your jars of crab apple butter from the canner, place them on a cooling rack or dry kitchen towel two inches apart to cool. Some of the bands may seem loose at this point, do not re-tighten them.
After 12 hours, check to see if the jars have sealed, the center of the lid should be concaved and not able to flex. Remove the metal bands/rings; carefully try to pull the lid off with your finger tips to check the seal again. Place any unsealed jars in the refrigerator and use as soon as possible or reprocess starting over with new jars and lids.
Allow sealed jars to cool for 24 hours. Wash the jars (especially the threads) and label them with contents and date. Store your crab apple butter in a cool, dry place away from light.
Thank you for visiting Mama’s Homestead!
~Nelle
- Ingredients for Crab Apple Butter
- 4 to 6 pounds crab apples
- Select crab apples that are fresh, ripe, firm, and blemish free. Wash and quarter your apples, keeping the seeds.
- 1 cup water
- 4 cups of pure cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- Instructions for Crab Apple Butter
- Place your apples in a large sauce pan, add 1 cup of water to start the cooking process, and heat to simmering.
- Cook until apples are softened, stirring them often to keep them from sticking to the pan.
- Run apples through a food mill or sieve. Measure 4 cups of crab apple pulp and return to your sauce pan, bring to a simmer. Add sugar, cinnamon, and cloves.
- Slowly, simmer the crab apple pulp until it is your desired thickness, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Enjoy it now…or can it for later.
- Fruit butters usually have a thick, creamy spreadable consistency. It will look a little shiny and cling to your spoon.
Thank you Nellie. Just what was needed. We’ve been planting various apple and crabapple seeds for years, and this year one tree is full of beautiful plump crabapples. Needed good clear recipe and instructions. Thank you so much.
in upstate NY
How many pints should this make?
Does this recipe do well with green crabapples? How can I tell if mine are ripe?
I really want to make this, but ONE cup of water for 4-6 lbs of apples??
Hi Nelle, just made this recipe with my wife, our first time canning too! Taste great and the instructions were easy to follow – thank you! We added 1/2 tsp of nutmeg but either way this apple butter is perfect. Thanks again, Oscar & Bri (Wyoming)
Its 1am in the morning. I started this afternoon peeling with my great neice. We did about 6lbs of crab apples.we got 2 big jars and seven 12ounce jars and one 8oz jar. Thanks for the help it turned ou amazing. I can hear the seals popping in the back right now. Going to try jelly and applesauce tomorrow with the last 6 lb batch.
Supple jelly but I am so happy to find your crab apple butter Thank You so much for sharing it