Wild Blackberry Crab Apple Sauce

This is a very versatile recipe depending on the amount of ingredients that you have. You can use crab apples or green apples. I pick my crab apples before they are considered ripe because there is more pectin in them. I use this recipe to make both jelly and apple sauce. The juice that I drain will become jelly while the apple pulp becomes the apple sauce.

Wild Blackberry Crab Apple Sauce
 
Ingredients:

2 plastic grocery bags filled with crab apples or green apples 
1 gallon bag of wild blackberries (can be frozen) 
Sugar 
Lemon juice 

Directions: 

Clean the crab apples by removing the stem and the flower at the other end. If you let them sit on your counter for at least a day, the stems dry out and are easier to just pull off. If you get a stubborn one, when you cut the apple in half and it comes right out. You can also scrape the end flower bud off easily with your finger nail. (Just fyi, this can be done while hanging out with the kids watching television!) 

Remove any blemishes on the apples and cut in half. As you cut in half, put the halves into a bowl of water to prevent turning brown. If using regular size green apples, just cut into chunks. Add apples and blackberries into a large pot. Fill with water to just below the level of fruit. Simmer until apples are soft and berries have popped (I simmered 45 minutes to an hour). Lightly mash to help release pectin. 

Drain apple mixture saving liquid to make jelly (this may require several more drains to clear the liquid for jelly). For apple sauce: using a food mill (I use a hand crank Foley), process the apple pulp to remove the skin and seeds. Measure the raw apple sauce. For every cup, add 1/4 cup of sugar. More if you prefer sweeter. For every six cups, add a tablespoon of lemon juice. Bring mixture to a boil. Fill your sterilized jars and water bath for twenty minutes.

Blackberry Crab Apple Jelly 

Ingredients:

Liquid from above processing
Sugar

Directions:

Drain the liquid in the colander again only this time line with coffee filters or use a jelly bag or even a clean pillow case.

Put liquid into a clean pot. For every cup of liquid add a cup of sugar. Boil for about 25 minutes and occasionally stirring and removing film. Test with a spoon from the freezer. You will begin to see the cooled liquid on the spoons gelling. 

Can jelly using a hot water bath for ten minutes.