The Old Crabapple Tree

When we were visiting mom and dad in Saskatchewan the crap apples were at the peak of ripeness--so sweet you could eat them raw. My sister's kids like to eat them in their lunch, so we packed a bunch in the car to give to family and friends.

This is dad's Saskatoon berry picking bucket with harness.

 Some of the apples had blight, so they weren't as plentiful as they first seemed, but you can keep the seconds for making infusions.

 Ullie and I startled a bird in a nearby tree and her nest was full of perfect little eggs.

Dragonflies gobbled up the mosquitoes nearby.

The neighbors have a good crop of calendula. I'll have to ask mom to save me some seeds.

To make an infusion, cut the apples in half, boil enough water to cover them, then leave for 24 hours. I'll have to do some research and find a recipe for crabapple shrub. Drinking vinegars are all the rage these days, but I like to keep it simple.

Of course, the apples also taste good sliced on top of pulled pork.

We drink our crab apple infusion chilled with a splosh of Victoria gin. One of my friends says she misses her mom's crab apple tree in Saskatchewan. She says they used to cut the apples in half and infuse in vodka. I'm gonna try that with gin. Stay tuned!