Crab Apple & Vanilla Curd

Mmmm…this one is good.  Deciding what to do with those delicious crab apples we picked on Sunday was simple when you have a recipe as good as this one.  Curds have a sweet but tart burst of flavour and these little red crab apples have just enough punch to make this a favorite.

We successfully did a triple batch in one go and it turned out so nice that we’d like to do another 2 batches.

RECIPE FOR A SINGLE BATCH OF CRAB APPLE & VANILLA CURD:

• Makes approximately 3 x 250mL
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 1/4 pounds of crab apples, halved or tart cooking apples roughly cut
• 1/4 pound of butter (preferably unsalted) cut into cubes
• 1 7/8 cups fine granulated white sugar
• 3 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, beaten

1. Cut vanilla bean lengthwise and place with apples in a sauce pan adding 2 tbsp of water. 
2. Simmer gently until apples are soft stirring often to prevent the apples from sticking to the bottom
3. Remove from the heat and let cool
4. Remove vanilla bean.  Put soft apples through a food mill collecting the pulp in a bowl
5. With a knife or the back of a spoon scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pieces and add them in with the apple puree along with the bean
6. Add the remaining ingredients ~ pouring the egg through a sieve
7. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (or use a double boiler) and simmer gently; stirring constantly until the curd begins to thicken
8. The curd is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.  This should take between 20-30 minutes.  NOTE: The triple batch still only took about 30 minutes
9. Remove the vanilla bean pieces
10. Pour into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4″ headspace; add sterilized snaps and lids
11. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes
12. Let jars stand in the hot water bath for 5 minutes before removing

 Put up Total:

• 2 x 473 mL reused jars
• 2 x 375mL regular diamond jars
• 4 x 250mL regular diamond jar