Crab Apple Wine Recipe
[adapted from Andy Hamilton's Booze for Free (Eden Project Books, 2011)]
Ingredients
- 5 lbs (2.5kg) crab apples
- 1 lb (500g) raisins
- 3 lbs (1.5kg sugar
- 1 tsp citric acid*
- 7 pts (4 litres) water
- 1 tsp pectolase*
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient*
- 1 Campden tablet (if using)*
- 1 sachet (5g) champagne yeast*
*available from homebrew suppliers
Method
It is difficult to say how a crab apple wine will turn out, as there are so many different varieties of crab apple, all with different flavours and colours. However, most crab apples will create a palatable, fairly dry white wine.
- Wash the crab apples, remove the stalks, then crush the fruit and place in your fermentation bin.
- Top up the bin with 5 pints (3 litres) of cold water and add pectolase, citric acid, and Campden tablet if using. Leave loosely covered for 24 hours.
- Boil 2 pints (1 litre) of water and dissolve the sugar in it. Add this, the raisins, yeast nutrient and yeast to your fermentation bin, and leave for 1 week to ferment.
- Rack at least once (i.e. siphon the wine from one container to another, leaving behind the sediment) and leave the wine to finish its secondary fermentation before bottling (this will take one to two weeks, or possibly longer, depending on the individual wine).
- This wine will benefit from being aged in the bottle for at least six months.
Crab Apple Tree 'Butterball'
Crab Apple. Gorgeous white, flushed pink, blossoms are followed by very heavy crops of 'butter-golden' fruits. Self-fertile. M26 rootstock.
Available Now
Supplied as a bare root tree pruned to approximately 3 - 4 feet tall (90 - 120 cm) tall including roots.
Crab Apple Tree 'Evereste'
Self Fertile. Orange red fruit, with pink buds and white blossom in Spring followed by stunning Autumn leaf colour. MM106 rootstock
Available Now
Supplied as a containerised tree pruned to approximately 3-4 ft (90-120cm) tall including pot.
Crab Apple Tree 'John Downie'
Crab Apple. Produces a profusion of rich orange red fruits in October perfect for crab apple jelly. Self Fertile. M26 rootstock.
Available Now
Supplied as a bare root tree pruned to approximately 3 - 4 feet tall (90 - 120 cm) tall including roots.
Crab Apple Tree 'Red Sentinel'
Crab Apple. Scented white flowers are followed by heavy crops of rich red fruits. Highly recommended. Self Fertile. MM106 rootstock.
Available Now
Supplied as a bare root tree pruned to approximately 3 - 4 feet tall (90 - 120 cm) tall including roots.
