Crabapple Juice (and Syrup)

Crabapple juice is a simple way to preserve a bumper crop of crabapples, and it’s just as useful in the kitchen as the fruit itself. Whether you’re canning it plain or turning it into a sweet-tart syrup, homemade crabapple juice has a bright, tangy flavor that works well in drinks, desserts, and glazes. 

You don’t need to peel or core the fruit, and it’s naturally acidic enough for safe water bath canning.

Crabapples might be small, but they pack a powerful punch when it comes to flavor. Their tart juice has a brightness that’s perfect for mixing into cocktails, spritzers, or simply pouring over ice. Canned crabapple juice is a wonderful way to preserve that flavor, and it’s easy to make with just a few basic tools.

This is one of the simplest ways to put up a crabapple harvest—especially if you don’t want to deal with peeling or coring the tiny fruits. All it takes is a quick simmer in water to extract the juice, followed by straining and water bath canning. You can leave the juice unsweetened, add just a bit of sugar, or turn it into a full-bodied syrup depending on how you plan to use it.

The same method used for making crabapple jelly applies here, but instead of cooking the juice down with sugar to the gel point, you simply heat and preserve the juice as-is. It’s perfect for drinking, but you can also reduce it later to make a sauce, glaze, or jelly.

You can quickly turn that crabapple juice into syrup by adding sugar, and that’s perfectly fine for preserving too.

Ingredients for Crabapple Juice (or Syrup)

To make crabapple juice, you’ll need about 6 pounds of crabapples and 6 cups of water, which typically yields around 8 cups (or 4 pints) of juice after straining. This assumes standard juicing crabapple varieties and average moisture content. 

Sugar at this point is optional, and not required for preservation.  Though, crabapples are generally quite tart, so you’ll probably want a bit for flavor.

If you’re planning to make syrup instead, you’ll use that same yield of juice and add 4 to 8 cups of sugar, depending on how sweet or thick you want the finished syrup.  Generally, syrups are made with a 2:1 juice to sugar ratio for a light syrup and a 1:1 ratio by volume for a full “simple syrup” amount.

Either way, as juice or syrup, this is perfectly fine for waterbath canning and the preserving instructions are the same.

How to Make and Can Crabapple Juice

Start by washing the crabapples thoroughly, removing any leaves, stems, or debris. There’s no need to peel or core them. Combine the prepared fruit and water in a large stock pot.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing the fruit gently with a spoon or potato masher as it softens. You’ll see the juice start to take on a beautiful rosy hue as the fruit breaks down.

Once the crabapples have fully softened and the juice is richly colored, strain the mixture through a jelly bag or several layers of damp cheesecloth. For the clearest juice, allow it to drip slowly into a bowl or large measuring cup without pressing or squeezing the pulp.

I like to first strain the juice through a fine mesh strainer to remove the large crabapple pieces, and then I strain it again through a triple layer of dampened cheesecloth or a jelly bag.

Taste the juice and decide whether to sweeten it. Many people prefer to can crabapple juice unsweetened and sweeten it later to taste, but you can stir in a small amount of sugar (¼ to ½ cup per quart) if you want it ready to drink. 

To make crabapple syrup, stir in ½ to 1 cup of sugar per cup of juice and heat until fully dissolved.

Canning Crabapple Juice or Syrup

Reheat the juice to a boil, then ladle into hot, sterilized jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply two-piece lids, and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes below 6,000 feet, and 15 minutes above 6,000 feet. 

Those times are for half pints, pints and quarts.

Apple juice is one of the few things that’s approved for canning in half gallon jars, so you can also process either the juice or syrup in half gallons if you have a huge yield.  To process in half gallons, the times are 10 minutes below 1,000 feet, increasing to 15 minutes between 1000 and 6000 feet, and finally 20 minutes over 6,000 feet.  That’s only for half gallons, and the times for more reasonable sized jars are much shorter.

Let the jars cool for 12–24 hours before checking seals. Store sealed jars in a cool pantry and use within 12 to 18 months.

FAQ

Yield Notes

Six pounds of crabapples and six cups of water yield about 8 cups (4 pints) of juice, depending on the juiciness of your fruit and how long you simmer. If you strain more aggressively or let the fruit sit overnight in the strainer, you may get a bit more.

Crabapple syrup made with this method typically yields 4 to 6 pints, depending on how much sugar you add.

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