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- The definitive answer is: Yes, you can eat crab apples! Crab apples are indeed edible, although they differ from their larger counterparts, the regular apples, in terms of taste and texture. They are generally sour and more fibrous, making them less desirable for eating raw compared to sweet, crisp apples.
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Are crab apples palatable?
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Is a crab apple a pit or a core?
Jun 12, 2024 · The short answer is yes! Crab apples are totally edible fruits that are foraged and used in recipes. They have a unique sour flavor when raw, so are best cooked into jams, baked goods, and more. Keep reading to learn all about crab apples and the delicious ways you can eat them.
Feb 20, 2024 · Some crab apple types are more palatable than others, but most people prefer not to eat them raw. The best way to enjoy these fruits is in baked goods and other sweetened recipes. Where...
Sep 26, 2024 · Like any food, crab apples should be enjoyed in moderation. The cores and seeds contain a plant compound that is turned into a toxic substance called cyanide as our bodies digest them. Fortunately, crab apples only contain a tiny amount of this compound, and you’d have to eat a huge quantity before you start feeling sick.
- Overview
- Safety of eating crab apples
- How to eat crab apples
- Nutritional profile
- Precautions and risks
- The bottom line
Crab apples are tiny fruits that grow on trees and resemble bigger apples.
You may have encountered them in orchards, as well as in decor that features dried blossoms or fruits on branches in vases or wreaths.
Since they look just like apples, you may wonder whether they’re edible.
This article reviews whether you can eat crab apples.
Crab apples are small, decorative wild apples. Like domesticated eating apples, they’re members of the Malus genus. Eating apples were simply bred to produce larger, sweeter fruit (1).
A common misconception is that crab apples are toxic. This is not the case, as long as you don’t eat the core and seeds, just like with bigger apples, they’re perfectly edible.
A good rule of thumb is that if the fruit is less than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, it’s considered a crab apple. Those bigger than that are simply called apples.
While the apples you find at the supermarket may come in a range of shades, crab apples are typically yellow-green. That said, some are a vibrant red, which may lead some to mistake them for cherries.
The only way to know is to cut the fruit open. If it has a core and seeds —and not a pit — it’s a crab apple.
Crab apple cores, like those of bigger apples, contain seeds that have small amounts of cyanogenic glycoside. When this naturally occurring plant compound is metabolized, it’s converted into cyanide.
Just because it’s safe to eat crab apples, that doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily want to do so. This is because crab apples are not always palatable.
In fact, crab apples are usually simply not eaten because they can be extremely sour or spongy in texture. Those that come from the Dalgo and Centennial trees are considered the most edible.
Crab apples, like most fruit, have been bred through time for different purposes. Some crab apples were bred for their beautiful flowers, while others were bred for their not-so-tasty but very decorative fruits.
Still, if you want to give them a try, there are many ways to enjoy them, such as raw, fresh off the tree, or tossed into salads or smoothies.
Alternatively, slice them down to create a crab apple jam. To do so:
•First, wash 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of crab apples, or about 30 crab apples.
Crab apples contain many of the same wide-ranging health benefits of regular apples — which extend to the gut and heart (4).
However, you’d need to compensate for their smaller size by eating more crab apples to get the same nutrients as you would from a bigger apple.
For instance, a crab apple can range from 3/4 of an inch (2 cm) to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, while a medium-sized apple is about 3 inches (8 cm) in size (5).
Therefore, you would need to eat about four crab apples to reap the same benefits as you would from eating one medium apple.
One crab apple (1.2 ounces or 35 grams) packs the following nutrients (6):
•Calories: 18
If you’re unsure about what’s hanging off the tree, consult a botanist or wild edibles expert.
Never eat fruit from the wild that you can’t identify with confidence. Doing so may lead to the accidental ingestion of toxic plants.
If you definitively have a crab apple on your hands, be sure to avoid the seeds and core.
The seeds contain cyanogenic glycoside, which your body metabolizes into cyanide, a toxic compound.
Still, there’s no need to panic if you accidentally swallow a few seeds — it would take a lot of them to make you sick.
However, if you have a crab apple tree in your yard, as well as a dog or other small animal, make sure they don’t eat these. If they ingest a large amount of them, it could pose a threat to their health.
Crab apples are basically little apples, and they’re safe to eat as long as you discard the seeds and pit.
Like bigger apples, they pack healthful nutrients — just on a smaller scale.
However, they may not always be palatable, which is why they’re not as commonly consumed as their larger counterparts.
Still, if you want to give them a try, you can eat them raw, tossed into salads or smoothies, or even made into a scrumptious jam.
Discover the answers to your questions about eating crab apples. Learn about the safety of consuming crab apples, how to properly handle and store them, and their culinary potential. Find out which crab apple varieties are suitable for cooking and baking.
Crab apples are small, tart fruits that resemble larger, sweeter apple varieties. Although they often have a sour taste and might not be as appealing to eat raw, they are definitely edible and can be utilized in various culinary applications.
Jun 12, 2024 · But as I’ll explain shortly, there are ways to make crab apples more palatable. One thing to note is that like regular apples, crab apples do contain seeds that have trace amounts of compounds that can produce cyanide.
