On Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:21:33 -0500, zxcvbob >
wrote:

wrote:
>> On Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:53:20 -0500, zxcvbob >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I rode my bike over to the water department to check out their one
>>> remaining crabapple tree. It was covered with bright red crabapples
>>> about the size and shape of a supermarket red radish. There were a
>>> bunch of drops under the tree.
>>>
>>> I picked one and bit into it and it was ripe -- tart, a little bit
>>> sweet, and white fleshed. (I thought they were red fleshed. I wonder
>>> where I picked those red-fleshed apples a couple of years ago?) I
>>> picked a plastic grocery bag full in about 5 minutes. The tree is still
>>> covered, I just made a small dent.
>>>
>>> I think I'll slice them and try out the steam juicer again. I wonder if
>>> the juice will be pink...
>>>
>>> Bob
>>
>> Bob.
>>
>> Sounds like they may be Dolgo crabapples and will make red juice and
>> jelly.
>> I just went out to one of our Dolgo trees and took a few photos.
>> This one is a clump of apples with a ruler to give you an idea of
>> size. http://tinypic.com/r/slpd0g/3
>> For this one, I pulled down a branch and bit off one side to give you
>> an idea of inside colour, slightly yellowish rather than white.
>> http://tinypic.com/r/2vnrtdg/3
>> We just cut them in half and load the steamer and steam for about 2
>> hours. A picture of the resulting jelly is on alt.binaries.food with
>> the Subject: Crabapple Jelly. Or he http://tinypic.com/r/wakl5u/3
>>
>> Ross.
>
>
>
>I got 2 quart fruit jars and almost a pint jar of thickish cloudy red
>juice. Basically, a full half gallon. I think the viscosity is from
>dissolved pectin. It will clear when I add the sugar.
>
>Do you use added pectin when you make your jelly, or just add sugar and
>boil it? I'm not sure how this steamer juice compares to jellybag juice
>or cold pressed juice. I tried making no-pectin-added peach jelly a few
>years ago because the thickness of the juice fooled me. (It made lovely
>peach syrup. :-) But peaches are a low-pectin fruit, so I should have
>known better.
>
>Bob

The last batch we made (the one in the picture) we used powdered
pectin. All our previous batches we've boiled to 8ºF over the boiling
point of water (218ºF here). Both methods set nicely but, of course,
the added pectin method is quicker.

Ross.