2cupsmaple syrup or honeydark brown sugar can be substituted
1lbyoung
½inpiece of cinnamon stick
2whole cardamom pods
3whole cloves
1dried bay leaf
3allspice berries
1two inch piece of orange zestpith removed
Instructions
Cider Pickle Liquid
Toast the spices, then add to the ingredients except the apples and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.
Apples
Meanwhile, peel the apples, leaving the stems intact. Peel the blossom end (called a calyx) to make it flat so the apples can stand up on a plate.
As the pickle simmers, add the apples as you peel them to prevent them from oxidizing.
When the peeled apples are added to the pot, bring them to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 min, then remove the apples to the jar, bring the pickle mixture to a rolling boil and pour over them, screw on the lid, and turn upside down, allowing the jars to cool and seal.
For the apples, trim the bottoms of their blossom end or calyx. This will help the apples stand up on a plate. Peel the apples
Bring all of the ingredients to a boil except the crab apples. Reduce the heat and add the crab apples. Simmer the crab apples for 5 minutes, or until just tender. Fill 2 pint canning jars with the crab apples and their pickling liquid and refrigerate. They will keep a very, long time.
Canning
To can this recipe, pack two pint canning jars with the trimmed, raw crab apples and pour over the pickling liquid, leaving ½ in headspace below the lid, then Process for 10 minutes in a water bath canner.