Crabapple cheese is one of the weirder recipes I've come across on my quest for the finest hedgerow-related eating opportunities, but it has quickly become a favourite.
It's called a cheese, but it's more like a firm chutney/jelly-type thing that you eat with cheese. It has a distinctive floury texture that is offset beautifully by the apple-y sweetness and hint of spice. I've eaten it with brie, goats cheese and cheddar (especially good with strong cheddar), it's brilliant in chicken sandwiches, and - though I haven't actually tried it yet - I have a suspicion that it will work very well with porridge as a compote*. It's really easy to make, and much less fiddly than jam.
*Update on this tomorrow morning
All you need is:
1.5 kilos of these little beauties (from the crabapple tree)
Half a litre of sweet cider
Half a tsp of ground cinnamon
Half a tsp of ground nutmeg
Half a tsp of ground cloves
Sugar (we used white caster, but soft brown is good too)
Step 1
Wash and drain the apples. Chop them into bits - halves or quarters.
Step 2
Pop them in a heavy pan and with the cider and simmer until they're pulpy.
Step 3
Tip the pulp into a sieve, put the sieve back over the pan and push the pulp through with a ladle.
Step 4
Weigh the puree and add half of this weight in sugar (2:1). Stir the mixture over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the spices, bring it back to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while stirring until the mixture has thickened.
Step 5
Pour into sterilised jars, top with a circle of parchment and seal.
Step 6
Enjoy with homemade brown bread and lashings of creamy goat's cheese
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