Safety classification
Tested
Testing authority: National Center for Home Food Preservation (University of Georgia / USDA-derived guidance)
Safety reviewed: 09/13/2026
Processing details
Source & provenance
Safety summary
Do not peel the crabapples; pierce every peel with a sterilized needle and keep the tested vinegar, sugar, water, and spice proportions.
Processing details
- Method
- Boiling Water
- Pack style
- Hot
- Jar sizes
- Pint Jars
- Headspace
- 1/2 inch
- Processing time
- 20/25/30/35 minutes at 0–1,000/1,001–3,000/3,001–6,000/above 6,000 ft.
Tested source
Safety status: Tested authoritative recipe. Original source. Do not peel the crabapples; pierce every peel with a sterilized needle and keep the tested vinegar, sugar, water, and spice proportions.
Preparation timeline
- Prepare clean jars, cookware, and ingredients.
- Wash and pierce whole crabapples, prepare the spiced pickling liquid, and heat the fruit slowly as directed.
- Fill pints only, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- 20/25/30/35 minutes at 0–1,000/1,001–3,000/3,001–6,000/above 6,000 ft.
Equipment
Boiling-water canner, nonreactive cookware, preparation tools, jar lifter, and pints only.
Visual method guide
- Prepare: Follow the source-specific preparation.
- Pack: Hot pack; 1/2 inch.
- Process: 20/25/30/35 minutes at 0–1,000/1,001–3,000/3,001–6,000/above 6,000 ft.
- Check: Discard any product showing spoilage.
Safety essentials
Do not peel the crabapples; pierce every peel with a sterilized needle and keep the tested vinegar, sugar, water, and spice proportions.
About this recipe
Spiced Crabapples II is a tested home-canning recipe.
Before you begin
- Method
- Boiling-water
canning - Pack
- Hot pack
- Jar size
- Pints only
- Headspace
- 1/2 inch
Altitude and processing schedule
20/25/30/35 minutes at 0–1,000/1,001–3,000/3,001–6,000/above 6,000 ft.
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Spiced Crabapples II — NCHFP
Ingredients
- 2 quarts crabapples with stems
- 3 cups distilled white vinegar 5% acidity
- 3 cups water
- 6 cups sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon 3-inch piece
- 1 tbsp allspice
- 1 tbsp whole cloves
Equipment
- Boiling-water canner
- Canning jars Use the jar size specified.
Directions
- Remove blossom petals, wash and drain crabapples, leave short stems attached, and pierce the peel with a sterilized needle.
- Combine vinegar, water and sugar with spices in a bag; boil until the syrup coats a spoon.
- Add apples, reheat slowly and simmer until tender. Pack hot fruit, cover with boiling syrup, and leave 1/2-inch headspace.
- Process pints 20/25/30/35 minutes at 0–1,000/1,001–3,000/3,001–6,000/above 6,000 ft.
Recipe Notes
Private Notes
Questions or results?
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Tried this recipe?
Share your results how it turned out.Serving suggestions
Serve after opening or preparation and refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change the process?
Do not peel the crabapples; pierce every peel with a sterilized needle and keep the tested vinegar, sugar, water, and spice proportions.
What if spoilage is suspected?
Discard without tasting.
How this recipe compares
This is the second NCHFP spiced-crabapple formulation; do not mix ingredients or steps with the other version.
Troubleshooting
Heat slowly and pierce each fruit to reduce bursting.
Never taste food to determine safety.
Source & provenance
Spiced Crabapples II original source. Follow the complete source exactly.
Garden planning for this recipe
Plant, space, variety, zone, and timing estimates live on dedicated ingredient pages:
Typical canning season
Season: Fall
Months: September, October, November
How much of the main ingredient should I grow?
35–70 lb of Apples per person per year
This is an annual planning range that includes preserving and typical fresh use. Plant, row-foot, and square-foot estimates are shown only when compatible cited yield or spacing data is available.
Garden yields vary by cultivar, climate, soil, pests, and care. Always measure the exact prepared ingredient amount required by the tested canning recipe.