Spiced Crabapples

(Makes about 6 pint jars)
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole cloves
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups white vinegar
8 cups stemmed crabapples, pricked with a fork

1. Tie cinnamon stick pieces, allspice and cloves in a square of cheesecloth, creating a spice bag.
2. In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine sugar, water, vinegar and spice bag. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Cover, reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes. Add crabapples and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, for 10 to 20 minutes or until crabapples are tender. Do not overcook. Remove from heat and discard spice bag.
3. Meanwhile prepare canner, jars and lids.
4. Using a slotted spoon, pack hot crabapples into hot jars to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Ladle hot syrup into jar to cover crabapples, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot syrup. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
5. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 20 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.

— page 161, The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, edited by Judi Kingrey and Lauren Devine, Robert Rose Press, Toronto, Ontario 2006

* Cookbook Note from the Editor: These recipes, handpicked from my collection, come from some mighty fine books. If you like the ones I share, see if you can get the books from places like Amazon or even your local bookstore.