Roberts Crab is an unusual crab-apple, grown both for its attractive ornamental qualities, and for culinary uses.
The abundant spring blossom is dark pink, and the leaves have a bronze tint.
Ripening in late summer, the crab-apples have an unusual dark purple colour. They are also very large - the size of small apples.
The main attraction in the kitchen is that the purple fruits have a rich red flesh, making Roberts Crab an excellent variety for crab-apple jams and jellies.
The red flesh also contains anthocynanin compounds, which may have healthy anti-oxidant qualities. A 2009 study by researchers at USDA found Roberts Crab to have particularly high levels of Cyanidin-3-0-galactoside.
The juice is a dark red claret colour, which is darker than that of other red-fleshed crab-apples. The juice flavour is sharp and crab-like, and can be used in cider blends.
Next deliveries: December 2024
Roberts Crab seems to be self-fertile, but we do not think the purple blossom is compatible for pollinating other apple trees.
Roberts Crab is very precocious, and is likely to flower and fruit the first season after planting. We recommend you remove any fruitlets as soon as they form, for the first few years, in order to allow the tree to grow properly.
The tree grows with an attractive upright spreading form and is reasonably vigorous.