To Preserve Crab Apples, Green
A historical recipe from La cuisine creole, by Lafcadio Hearn (1885).
A historical recipe
La cuisine creole: a collection of culinary recipes from leading chefs and noted Creole housewives, who have made New Orleans famous for its cuisine, by Lafcadio Hearn (1885). Project Gutenberg eBook #75027.
From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards. Its words name: preserving or pickling. Check current food-safety guidance before following this.
Also printed in: La cuisine creole (1885).
United States
Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.
- Preserving. Old preserving methods may not make food safe to keep. Use current tested guidance.
Ingredients 2 ingredients
Cook safely
Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.
- Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
Method
Chef Wood
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- Wash the apples and boil them in a very little water, cover them with vine leaves, while on the fire simmering, and they will then be very yellow.
- Take them out and spread them on a large dish to cool.
- Pare and core them, put them back in the kettle, with fresh leaves to cover them.
- Hang them over the fire, or on the stove in a preserving kettle until they are green;
- then take them out of the pot, let them cool, weigh them, and allow a pound of sugar to a pound of fruit.
- Put only water sufficient to dissolve the sugar, as the fruit, having been already boiled, will require very little water--a small cupful to each pound being quite enough.
- Boil this syrup, skim it, and put in your green apples, and boil them until they are clear and tender.
- Put the apples in jars, turn the juice on to them, and when cold tie them up, or rather seal them in this Southern climate.
Plating
Cookware for this recipe
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Saucepan
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Spatula
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Slotted spoon
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Kettle