Spiced crab apples

1. Yield: about 9 pints procedure: remove blossom petals and wash apples, but leave stems attached.
2. Puncture the skin of each apple four times with an ice pick or toothpick.
3. Mixi vinegar, water, and sugar and bring to a boil.
4. Add spices tied in a spice bag or cheesecloth.
5. Using a blancher basket or sieve, immerse 1/3 of the apples at a time in the boiling vinegar/syrup solution for 2 minutes.
6. Place cooked apples and spice bag in a clean 1- or 2-gallon crock and add hot syrup.
7. Cover and let stand overnight.
8. Remove spice bag, drain syrup into a large saucepan, and reheat to boiling.
9. Fill pint jars with apples and hot syrup, leaving ½-inch headspace.
10. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in table 1. table Recommended process time for spiced crab apples in a boiling-water canner.
11. style of pack: hot. Jar size: pints.
12. Process time at altitudes of 0 - 1,000°Ft: 20 min. 1,001 - 3,000°Ft: 25 min. 3,001 - 6,000°Ft: 30 min. above 6,000°Ft: 35 min.