Bad year for Crab Apples?

[Cyclingrelf]

Is it just my patch in Coventry that seems to have virtually no fruit this year, or is it a country-wide phenomenon?

Fortunately, last year was good and I have Crab Apple jelly left over, but the trees are scarily bare this year. Maybe 5 apples at most on each tree!!

Recipes

Crab Apple Jelly
Wash crab apples. Do not peel. Remove the seeds. Cover with water. Cook until soft. Drain through a jelly bag or piece of cloth so you get just the juice. Add 2/3 cup sugar to each cup of juice. Boil the mixture rapidly until jelly sheets from spoon, or I tend to put a plate in the fridge and put a small drop on at regular intervals to see if it sets.

Crab Apple Cheese
3lb apples. Don't peel. Cut off bruises and core them. Chop skins very finely, as they're going to stay in the finished gloop. 1/2 pint cider, 1/2 tsp cinnamon or 1" stick, 1/2 pint water (slightly less), 2 cloves, 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg.

Puree the apples, cider and water. Weigh and add an equal weight of brown granulated sugar and all the spices. Boil gently while stirring. Pour into jars or if thick enough into a cake tin lined with grease proof paper (idea being to keep in the fridge then tip out like jelly to be carved into sloppy slices with pork or wild boar)

 

[scruff]

I've got two eatters and a crab in my garden and I have to agree it has been a pretty bad year....but then I am in the bleak old north

 

[Wenie]

The tree in our back garden is covered in apples. Caught the builders from next door pinching some of them this morning...

 

[bambodoggy]

No crab apples in my garden but I have a cox's tree which usually gives loads of apples...it's been very quiet this year

 

[Emma]

Last time I was home there weren't too many apples on any of our nine apple trees.

 

[jem seeley]

Seems to go like this some years.Recently found a crab apple with plenty on so keep looking around.The Bramley in my garden has had very few fruit this year but was laden last.The pears,on the other hand,are weighed down with fruit when there was virtually nothing last season.Plenty of plums,bullace,sloes & blackberrys to make up for any shortfall in other fruit.I guess even trees need a rest.

 

[Rob]

The trees in the wood behing our house are stacked with them (or were before they started falling).

Out of interest, other than jelly, are there any other good uses for them?

 

[Cyclingrelf]

I've got a recipe for Crab apple cheese as well - handed down by my wicked uncle Stephen. It's intended to be eaten alongside a nice piece of pork. But I actually prefer the jelly...

 

[spamel]

My grandmas' Bramley tree was absolutely brimmers with apples in the summer. She lives in Wawne, Hull, so it can't be an oop north ting!

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Hoorah! My colleague has spotted a tree a few miles away, near where she lives. So she plans to bring some in for me. Another colleagues suggests crab apples sticky cakes - I shall chase him for the recipe. In the meantime, the recipes I currently have added to first post.