How to Make Homemade Crab Apple Jelly: A Step-by-Step Canning Guide

How to Make Homemade Crab Apple Jelly: A Step-by-Step Canning Guide
If you're looking for a simple, rewarding way to preserve the harvest, homemade crab apple jelly is a great place to start. This jelly is packed with natural pectin, vibrant color, and a delightfully tart flavor. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make crab apple jelly from scratch using a traditional boiling water bath canning method.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned home canner, this recipe walks you through every step—from juicing your crab apples to safely preserving your jelly in jars.

Ingredients for Crab Apple Jelly
To make a full batch of crab apple jelly, you'll need:

5 cups crab apple juice (if it's too thick, you can thin it with ½ cup water)

7½ cups sugar

1 pouch liquid pectin

(Optional) ½ tsp butter or margarine to reduce foam

Step 1: Prepare the Crab Apples
After boiling the crab apples, allow them to cool slightly before straining. Use a two-step straining method:

First straining: Use a large colander or strainer to remove the bigger chunks and pulp.

Second straining: Use a finer mesh strainer or jelly bag to separate the fine solids, giving you clear juice rich in natural pectin.

The juice should be thick—almost syrup-like—thanks to the natural pectin from the apple cores. If it’s too thick for jelly, add a little water to adjust the consistency.

Step 2: Mix Juice and Sugar
Measure out your juice. In this recipe, we used 4½ cups of thick crab apple juice and ½ cup of water for the perfect texture. Whisk in 7½ cups of sugar until fully dissolved.

Place the mixture on the stove over medium-high heat and bring it to a rolling boil—one that cannot be stirred down.

Step 3: Add Liquid Pectin
As soon as you hit a rolling boil, pour in one pouch of liquid pectin. Make sure to squeeze it from the bottom of the packet to get every drop. Stir quickly and thoroughly.

Let it boil hard for one full minute, then immediately remove it from heat.

Step 4: Skim the Foam
Use a large spoon to gently skim off any foam from the surface of the jelly. This step helps your jelly look clearer and avoids confusion with spoilage later.

💡 Pro Tip: To minimize foam, add ½ teaspoon of butter or margarine to the pot before it reaches a boil. This simple trick significantly reduces foam formation, making your jelly smoother and easier to process.

Step 5: Fill the Jars
Once the jelly is finished and foam is removed:

Fill hot, sterilized jars with the hot jelly, leaving ¼ inch headspace.

Wipe the rims clean to ensure a good seal.

Apply lids and rings finger-tight.

Step 6: Water Bath Can the Jelly
Place your filled jars into a prepared boiling water bath canner. If you don’t have enough jars to fill the rack, place a heatproof bowl or empty jars to balance the load and prevent tipping.

Once the water returns to a rolling boil, process the jelly for 10 minutes.

Step 7: Cool and Store
After processing, remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed for 12–24 hours. Check for sealed lids before storing. Your finished crab apple jelly will be shelf-stable and ready to enjoy throughout the year.

Final Thoughts
Crab apple jelly is a wonderful way to capture the essence of fall in a jar. Its natural pectin content makes it perfect for beginner canners, and the vivid flavor shines in everything from toast to glazes for meats.

Making jelly doesn’t have to be complicated—and with a few helpful tips, like using butter to reduce foam or rebalancing your canner load, you’ll be preserving like a pro in no time.