Allotments 4 All

hello collective,

long time no see and all, anywhoo

i have spotted what looks like a very lovely crab apple tree in a local park. the fruits are small, very hard, look like very elongated apples but are small plum size.
they are deep red and the leaves also look like apple leaves.

i presume therefore it's a crab apple tree.
not knowing what variety this might be, are all crab apples edible, i.e. can i make jelly with them/use them as a jelling agent? or are there some toxic varieties out there? (like there is with ornamental cherries etc)

any help appreciated.

thanks
svea

did some googling and it looks simlar to this one:

http://www.denolf.com/images/uploads/idden015.jpg

Red obelisk

though of course i cannot be sure of the exact variety...

Looks like crab apples to me. I made jelly with these and I'm still alive ;D!

dandelion,

that picture looks very close to what grows in the park near me.
i might just have to meet OH for lunch there and have a go at the tree...i don't care if anyone is looking either :D

I became a taling point for the old ladies in the park when I picked mine  (they approved ;D). The jelly is a lovely red colour, but perhaps a bit too 'set' (the apples must be full of pectin), so next  year I will mix the crab apples with some other fruit.

Svea, cut the fruit in half. The structure inside should reveal what it is. Crab apple fruits look (and smell) the same as apples. Crab apples in my neighbourhood are now ready and I've been picking some. Last year I made chilli jelly with them and it was delicious! :P