Purple crabapple fruit, borne on ornamental trees, offers a unique visual appeal. These small, colorful fruits provide a distinctive aesthetic to landscapes, often serving as a focal point with their rich, deep hues. Their presence extends the period of interest in a garden, moving beyond spring blossoms to offer beauty through summer, fall, and winter. The striking coloration of purple crabapples makes them a popular choice for adding ornamental value to various settings.
Identifying Purple Crabapple Fruit
Purple crabapple fruits are generally small, typically measuring less than 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, distinguishing them from larger cultivated apples. Their shape is often round or slightly oval, resembling miniature apples. The most notable characteristic is their vibrant purple coloration, which can range from a deep ruby red to a dark maroon or even a purple-blue, depending on the specific variety. The skin of these fruits is smooth and can sometimes have a subtle waxy sheen. They often appear in clusters, creating a striking contrast against the foliage, which itself can be purple or bronze in many varieties.
Edibility and Safety
Purple crabapple fruits are generally safe for human consumption, though they are often quite tart or astringent when eaten raw. Like all apples, the seeds contain small amounts of cyanogenic glycosides, which can convert to cyanide if consumed in large quantities. It is advisable to avoid eating the seeds and the core, just as one would with larger apples. Because of their tartness, purple crabapples are typically not consumed fresh directly from the tree, but rather are used in preparations where their flavor can be balanced with sweeteners.
Culinary Uses
The tartness of purple crabapples makes them particularly suitable for various culinary applications where their unique flavor can be enhanced. They are frequently used to make jellies, jams, and preserves, as their natural pectin content helps these preparations set. The fruit’s vibrant color also translates beautifully into cooked products, yielding visually appealing results. Beyond preserves, purple crabapples can be incorporated into sauces, pies, and other baked goods, providing a pleasant tang that complements sweeter ingredients.
Their acidic profile also lends itself well to ciders and vinegars, where they contribute a zippy, sprightly flavor. Some popular uses include spiced crabapples, fruit butter, fruit leather, and savory chutneys, which pair well with meats. When cooking with purple crabapples, it is common to add sugar or other sweeteners to balance their inherent tartness, creating a sweet-tart combination.
Popular Purple Crabapple Varieties
Several crabapple varieties are specifically cultivated for their striking purple fruit and foliage, offering distinct characteristics. The ‘Purple Prince’ crabapple (Malus ‘Purple Prince’) is known for its abundant ruby-red to maroon fruits that persist into winter, contrasting beautifully with its purple-bronze foliage. This variety also features rosy red flowers in mid-spring, adding to its ornamental appeal. Another notable variety is ‘Perfect Purple’ (Malus ‘Perfect Purple’), which produces purple-red fruit about 0.5 inches in diameter. Its deep purple foliage maintains its color throughout the growing season, turning redder in the fall.
‘Royal Raindrops’ (Malus ‘JFS-KW5’) is recognized for its persistent red fruits and unique deep purple cut-leaf foliage that transitions to orange, scarlet, and bronze in autumn. ‘Prairifire’ is another popular choice, bearing purplish-red fruits that attract birds, alongside leaves that emerge purplish and mature to bronzy green. These varieties not only provide attractive fruit but also contribute to the landscape with their colorful foliage and spring blooms.
Harvesting and Storage
Purple crabapple fruit typically ripens from late summer through fall, with some varieties ready for harvest between September and November. A good indicator of ripeness is the fruit’s color, which should be vibrant and true to the variety, along with a slight softening of the fruit. Cutting open a fruit to check the seeds can also confirm ripeness; mature seeds will be dark brown rather than green or white. Harvesting can involve gently picking the fruit from the tree, ensuring minimal bruising.
For short-term storage, crabapples should be kept in a cool place after removing any debris and discarding bruised fruit. For extended preservation, whole crabapples, puree, or juice can be frozen. To freeze whole fruits, rinse them, remove stems and blossom ends, then spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet before transferring to freezer bags once frozen. This method allows the fruit to be stored for several months, providing a supply for culinary uses throughout the year.