Wildcrafting With Ila

[ila hatter]

Here's a Christmas Gift "from the wild" that I make every year. If you don't have wild or domestic crabapples, you can make Spiced Apple Rings instead. (Use firm tart apples)
SPICED CRABAPPLES
2 quarts crabapples with stems
3 cups distilled white vinegar (5%)
3 cups water
6 cups sugar
3/4 cup red hot cinnamon candies
Tie in a spice bag: 1 tbsp whole cloves, 1 3" stick cinnamon

YIELD: About 6 pint jars

Choose crabapples with stems attached removing only blossom petals. Wash well and drain. Do not peel. To prevent bursting, pierce peel with a large needle.
Mix together vinegar, water, and sugar; add spice bag and candies. Boil until candies are melted and syrup thickened so that it coats spoon. Add crabapples. Reheat slowly to avoid bursting the skins and simmer until apples are tender.
Pack hot apples into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. fill jar 1/2 inch from top with boiling syrup making sure apples are completely covered. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. wipe rims on jars with a dampened clean paper towel; adjust two-piece metal canning lids. Process in boiling water canner.
Place jars in canner and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cover with lid. For altitude of 0-1,000 ft simmer for 20 min. Turn off heat, but do not remove jars from canner for at least 30 min. I usually cover the jars with a kitchen towel after removing them to a wooden cutting board.