Directions: |
Directions:Wash the apples thoroughly and place into the 2-quart pan. Cover apples with water and cook on high heat until the water boils. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes if needed. Do not overcook. Also do not cook more than one batch at one time as the apples will overcook and turn mushy. Remove from the heat and strain the crabapples. Fill the large canning pot with water until the water level covers the tops of the pint jars. Heat the water until boiling. Remove the lids and rings from the pint jars, and sterilize the empty jars by heating them in the canning pot. You can also sterilize your jars and lids in the dishwather. In the empty 2-quart pot, mix together water, sugar and red hots and heat. The mixture will make a medium thickness syrup that will be poured into the jars with the crabapples. Stir the mixture until all the candies are melted. Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves to the syrup and heat. Continue to stir the mixture so that it doesn't burn. While periodically stirring the syrup mixture, remove the pint jars from the canning pot with the tongs, and place them on a towel on a sturdy surface. Fill the jars with the cooked crabapples. Pack the jars so that they are full, but not overstuffed. Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves with slotted spoon from the syrup. Carefully ladle the syrup mixture into the jars until all the apples are covered. Add enough syrup so that there is only a ½ inch of space at the top of the jar. Wipe off all spills, and place flat lids on top of the jars. Twist on the rings tightly, and using the tongs, place filled jars in the canning pot. Cover the pot and process on high heat for 10 minutes. Remove the filled jars and let them cool. Store processed jars in a dry, cool place. A lighter syrup can be made using more water to thin the mixture. Raisins can also be added to the syrup mixture for an additional treat. |
