The crab apples are smaller in size that they look like they are the same size of those cherry tart fruits. However this variety is of the same genus of the table apples. Some botanists seem to think that this fruit is one of the survivors of the wild ancestors to the domesticated apple types. They are called crab apples also because the tree as well as the fruits looks so much like the apple trees and fruits.
That is why many people are confused as when they take a bite to the crab apples, they would feel the slightly distinctive taste that is often unpleasant. The crab apple tree is being grown for their small fruits. Moreover, they are also cultivated for decorative flowers. The tree is often grown in their dwarf size so that they would be the perfect choice of cramped areas.
Some people, who can identify crab apples, often call them with another name, that is the wild apples. This is because although the fruit and tree looks similar to the regular apple tree, but they have a certain wild look because their branches are gnarled and twisted and they also have thorns. The small crab apple fruits are yellow when immature and turn to red when they are ripe. The tree can often be found in the dense cluster areas. A good characteristic of the tree is that when it is taken care of, it may be able to live for so many decades. Most of the trees are very tolerant to the cold frost and they can drop their leaves in the fall to save the energy that they have until winter is finished.
It is not easy to describe the taste crab apples. You need to taste it to be able to describe its flavor. But the taste maybe intensely sour and makes you feel like you are biting into a sour lime. As the crap apples are not a good fruit to be eaten alone, then it is often used as an ingredient to other dishes. Some of the crab apples in a batch of cider will make the interesting end result which is complex but satisfying. Moreover, they are also used for pickles in chutney as well as in many savory sauces. In some areas, though the crab apples are created to be a crab apple jelly as it contains high level of pectic, the natural fruit based gelatin.
