Welcome Fall Crabapple Jam (no pectin)

This gorgeous Crabapple Jam is prepared with crabapples, rosehips, and a mixture of fall spices. It's tart and sweet and doesn't require pectin to thicken! Enjoy this Crab apple Jam over toast, ice cream, mixed into plain yogurt, or add to your fall charcuterie board!

At the end of our dirt road stands a large crabapple tree full of beautiful, red crabapples. For the longest time, I thought they were plums. The tree is next to a building that has been many things over the years, including a mercantile, gas station, and a restaurant called "Molly Brown's."

The building was for sale for a long time. My friends actually tried to convince me to purchase it and open a restaurant. When we found a painting of the building in an antique shop in Idaho, we thought that maybe it was a sign... We bought the painting, but not the building.

Recently, it was purchased by a lady from Alaska, named Kathy. A few weeks ago, I met Kathy, as she was picking up broken branches and fallen fruit. After getting to know each other, I asked Kathy if I could pick some of the "plums" on her tree. I can't help it, I'm Assyrian and that's just what we do! 😬

Kathy told me they were actually crabapples, and that I could help myself. A few days ago, I decided to take Kathy up on her offer and used the crabapples to make this yummy crabapple jam!

🧐 Why This Recipe Works

Crabapples (or crab apples) are sometimes wasted on the tree because people just don't know what to do with them. However, with a little imagination, they can be transformed into jelly, wine, butter, and this wonderful crab apple jam!

I love that no pectin is needed for this jam because apples are loaded with natural pectin. This means you don't need to add a bunch of sugar to help the jam set either.

The ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom give this crab apple jam a delicious flavor that will remind you of fall all year long!

I'll admit, chopping up the crab apples is a little bit tedious and not something I would want to do on a regular basis, but I can tolerate it once a year, and so can you! I decided to add Rosehips, but in the end, half of them had worms. I added less than I had intended, which makes them totally optional!

🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe

🔖 Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Crab Apples — Use firm, ripe crabapples without blemishes or evidence of worm damage.
• Rosehips — Rosehips are optional, but add a nice sweet flavor. They're also loaded with vitamin C (see my rosehip syrup post for more information). The one drawback is the tedious process of processing them.
• Spices — I added what I consider fall spices (cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom) to celebrate fall, my favorite season! If you don't have all of the spices, just add the ones you have.
• Orange Slices — I always have dehydrated orange slices on hand, however, fresh orange slices are another great option!

🔪 Helpful Tools

• 6 mason jars
• canning tools
• canner
• soup bags

🍎 How to Make Crabapple Jam

Step 1: Process Crabapples and Rosehips

Chop apples into small pieces and add to a medium-sized pot. Sprinkle with sugar. If adding rosehips, pinch off the blossom end, slice in half, and remove the seeds and tiny irritating hairs. Add the processed rosehips to the pot.

Step 2: Add Spices and Orange Slices

Place cinnamon, cardamom pods, whole cloves, and sliced ginger into a soup bag and place into the pot. Tie the bag to the handle of the pot for easy removal. Add orange slices.

Step 3: Add Lemon Juice, Water or Juice

Add lemon juice and water (or apple juice/cider) and simmer over low heat, uncovered, until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover for 5 minutes and simmer over low to medium heat. 

Meanwhile, prepare the jars by sterilizing them in boiling water.

Step 4: Simmer Jam

Uncover the jam and smash with a wooden spoon or a masher to get the right consistency. Press down on the spices as well to extract their flavor. The jam will thicken after approximately 10 minutes. Remove the orange slices.

Step 5: Process Jam

Pour crabapple jam into sterilized jars, using the proper canning tools (funnel, tongs, etc.) Once the lids are hand tightened, place the jars back into the boiling water and process for an additional 10 minutes. Cool on the counter and store in a cool, dark place.

🤷🏻‍♀️ Recipe FAQs

👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

• When processing the apples, keep your eyes open for worm damage, which can be common in crab apples.
• For a smoother, apple-sauce texture, use an immersion blender prior to canning.
• If using rosehips, keep in mind that they are sweeter when picked after the first frost.
• Crabapple jam gets thick quick. If it gets too thick, just add additional liquid (water or juice).

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