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TComfort Foods(^14) September/October 2019
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When our ‘Dolgo’ crab apple tree is at peak production, we dine on crab
apple waffles, pancakes, bread, cobbler, muffins, and jelly. But perhaps our
favorite way to use this fruit is in pies, which resemble cherry pies in both appear-
ance and flavor. In short, just about any way you can cook with apples, you can
utilize crab apples — though you’ll need to deal with the tartness of this fruit.
We’d originally bought the ‘Dolgo’ because of its reputation as a wildlife
attractor, as well as for its hardiness — the tree originated in Siberia and was
brought to the United States in the 1800s. To our surprise, the tree started putting
on fruit at 3 years of age; by age 7, it produced gallons of crab apples. Years later,
it still bears vast quantities of fruit.
Phil Gouy, owner of One Green World, a nursery in Portland, Oregon, says crab
apple trees, and especially the ‘Dolgo,’ offer a great deal to backyard growers.
“Crab apples as a group are known for their profusion of blooms,” he says.
COOKING WITH CRAB APPLES
Plant colorful, fragrant crab apple trees on
your property for their beauty, as well as for the
delicious fruit they produce. By Bruce and Elaine Ingram
“They’re outstanding pollinators of
other apple trees, and the bees and but-
terflies they attract help pollinate other
fruit trees, as well as garden plants.
Crab apple trees are also very hardy
and adaptable to different climates, as
there are varieties that originated in
North America, Asia, and Europe.”
Gouy recommends the following
cultivars as particularly good choices
for backyard growers.
■ ‘ DOLGO’: Reliable producer of
fruit; disease resistant; hardy in
cold climates
■ ‘CALLAWAY’: Productive; disease
resistant; smaller tree size ideal
for backyards (‘Dolgo’ is one of
its parents)
■ ‘KERR’: Produces larger-than-
normal fruit; known for mak-
ing great-tasting jelly; disease
resistant; extremely hardy
■ ‘WHITNEY’: Known as a cider
crab apple; compact tree with
yellowish-red fruit; fruit sweet
enough to be eaten off the tree
In recipes, crab apples usually re-
quire more sugar than regular apples,
but their inherent tartness gives them
a pleasing zing, especially in pies,
cobblers, and jellies. Crab apples are
also high in vitamin C and offer some
omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
CRAB APPLE PIE
Yields 1 pie.
2 prepared pie crusts
4 to 5 cups cored and chopped
crab apples
1 cup sugar
(^1) ⁄ 2 teaspoon cinnamon
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup King Arthur Pie Filling Enhancer,
or thickener of your choice
2 tablespoons butter, cut into
pea-sized pieces
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a 9-inch
pie plate with one crust. Set remaining
crust aside.