What Kind of Fruit Is the Crabapple? Characteristics and Edible Value

The crabapple is the fruit of a small deciduous tree in the genus Malus of the rose family (Rosaceae), also known as huahong or linqin, and it is grown fairly widely in the northern regions of our country. Its fruit looks similar to an apple but is smaller in size; when ripe, the skin is yellow with a flush of red, and the flesh is crisp, loose and juicy, with a sweet-and-sour taste. It is a traditional fruit commonly seen in summer and autumn.

The crabapple tree is highly adaptable, cold- and drought-tolerant, and makes few demands on the soil; its cultivation and management are more extensive than those of the apple, so it is often used as a rootstock for grafting and raising apple seedlings. It blooms with pinkish-white flowers in spring, and its tree form is attractive, so it both yields fruit and has a certain ornamental value.

From the standpoint of eating, the crabapple contains organic acids, fructose and various vitamins, among other components. It is pleasantly sweet and sour and has an appetite-stimulating effect, making it very suitable for eating fresh. It can also be processed into dried fruit, jam, fruit wine and other products, and in some regions people are also accustomed to boiling it into fruit water or making preserves from it.

When selecting crabapples, choose those with a smooth, glossy surface, a rosy color, a firm, heavy feel and no bruises. Highly ripe crabapples do not keep long, so after buying them it is best to store them in a cool, well-ventilated place and eat them as soon as possible. In addition, crabapples are fairly high in acidity, so people with sensitive stomachs had best not eat large amounts of them on an empty stomach.