One Plant a Week: Crabapple

September 22, 2025 Harvesting Nature

This is the twentieth post in our new series, One Plant a Week, where we learn a new, edible plant every week. That means that if you follow along, you’ll know 52 new plants after only a year of doing this. As our foraging expert guest, Pascal Baudar said on the Wild Fish and Game Podcast, it will make you more of a wild plant expert than 99.99999% of the population.

We recommend you go out and find these plants if they exist in your region. You don’t necessarily have to harvest them; simply familiarize yourself with them and get to know them well. See them in their different phases of life, in different terrains and conditions. See who else likes to eat them (Bears? Squirrels?), pollinate them (Butterflies? Hummingbirds?), or use them (Nesting birds? Muskrats?). Use plant ID apps, along with foraging/ID books, online resources, and mentors to teach yourself about them more and to get comfortable enough with them that you can ID to 100% accuracy.

Then, if you feel confident enough, bring some home and try preparing some to eat. Try doing this with different specimens in different stages of life to see when it is best to harvest them. Knowing these plants through and through will transform the way you interact with the outdoors, as well as the way you see food. A warning though: this is an addictive hobby!

An additional warning: Plant ID apps are not 100% accurate, and you should not be eating ANYTHING wild unless you are 100% sure that it is safe to do so. Do not rely solely on one source for your information (including us), and do not eat anything unless you’ve properly identified it.

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This Week is All About Crabapples!

Crabapples (Malus spp.) are small, tart fruits that grow on wild apple trees and are among the most abundant and accessible wild edibles across temperate regions. Packed with vitamin C, antioxidants, and beneficial phytonutrients, crabapples can help boost immunity and support overall health. Although they are not commonly eaten raw due to their tartness, crabapples are highly versatile in the kitchen when cooked, sweetened, or fermented.

The trees that produce crabapples are closely related to cultivated apple trees, but their fruit is usually smaller, ranging from half an inch to two inches across. Crabapples are found across North America, Europe, and Asia, often thriving along roadsides, in abandoned orchards, hedgerows, and woodland edges. They are hardy and resilient, producing heavy crops of fruit even in poor soils. Harvest generally occurs in late summer through fall, with some varieties sweetening further after the first frost.

The flavor of crabapples ranges from intensely tart and mouth-puckering to pleasantly sour-sweet, depending on the variety and stage of ripeness. Historically, they were used in preserves, ciders, vinegars, and sauces, and Native peoples as well as early settlers valued them as a source of flavor and nutrition. Today, crabapples are still prized by foragers for jellies, pickles, syrups, and homemade ciders, as well as for their ornamental beauty.

Description:

Wild crabapple trees are small to medium-sized, usually growing 10 to 30 feet tall. They often appear gnarled and spreading, with thorny or twiggy branches. In spring, crabapple trees are easily recognized by their profusion of fragrant blossoms, which range from white to pink. These flowers are not only attractive but also edible, adding a light floral note to salads, garnishes, and infusions.

The leaves of crabapple trees are oval, serrated, and alternate along the branches. By late summer, small fruits begin to appear in clusters, ranging in color from green to yellow, red, or even purple depending on the species. The fruit is typically round, with a diameter under two inches, and contains small seeds in a central core similar to domesticated apples.

Crabapples thrive in sunny, open areas and are often found in places where cultivated apples may have gone feral. Harvest is best done in autumn when the fruits are brightly colored and firm but slightly softened by cool weather. The fruit can be plucked directly from the branches; for large harvests, a tarp can be spread beneath the tree and the branches gently shaken to collect fallen fruit.

Lookalikes

Crabapples are generally easy to identify, though some other small-fruited trees may cause confusion.

Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) produces red berries of similar size, but the leaves are lobed rather than oval, and hawthorn seeds are hard pits rather than the star-shaped seed core of apples.

Wild cherry (Prunus spp.), which bears small, red fruits, but cherries grow in pairs or clusters on long stems, not directly attached in clusters at the branch like crabapples. Paying attention to the leaf shape, flower structure, and the distinctive apple-like seed core will help confirm identification.

Edibility:

Crabapples are known for their strong tartness, with flavors that vary by species and ripeness. Some fruits are puckeringly sour, while others develop a balanced sweet-tart taste, especially after exposure to frost. When cooked with sugar or blended with sweeter fruits, their flavor becomes pleasantly bright and aromatic, often with notes of citrus and spice.

To collect crabapples, harvest when the fruit is fully colored and firm but no longer green and under-ripe. They should be stored in a cool, dry place or refrigerated to extend freshness. For long-term storage, crabapples can be frozen whole, juiced, or cooked into preserves. Processing often involves simmering the fruit to soften the skins and extract juice or pulp, then straining out the seeds and cores. This juice or puree forms the base for jellies, syrups, and sauces.