Crab Apples have long symbolized love and marriage, but crab apple trees have a reputation for creating a mess. Now, crab apple ciders and sodas are fast becoming the specialty products of the Stratford area.
“The thing about crab apples is that they’re ballistic-ally fantastic. You can throw them at people, and they’re heavy enough to go where you want them to go, but they’re not heavy enough that you’re going to hurt the person,” regales Glen Smythe.
Together with his brother Alex Smythe, their company, Apple Flats, has sold 500 000 jars of crab apple jelly and juice to date and are now focusing on crab apple cider and soda.
In 1991, renowned Canadian sculptor, Ruth Abernethy, along with her husband, sister and brother-in-law, purchased a property in Wellesley, Ontario on which they built their family home. Upon completion they planted a tree: a pretty heritage crab apple tree. Within ten years it would begin producing an abundance of fruit. In order to prevent a mess or the kids pelting each other with them, they inaugurated a family tradition of making crab apple jelly. The kids would collect crab apples to put in a cast iron juicer, and then give the juice to the adults for jellying.
(Side note: upon arriving at Apple Flats to tour the orchard, I introduced myself to Glen Smythe, who said, “Oh, I think we have your Dad’s head in our basement.” That has to be the funniest welcome I’ve ever received in my life. His mother, Ruth Abernethy, is the esteemed and talented sculptor who created the Al Waxman statue that resides in Kensington Market, Toronto.)
Fast forward to 2016 when the brothers came home from university and work for the holidays. Just for fun, they harvested the whole crab apple tree and made enough crab apple jelly for 250 jars, which they then sold to local cheese shops. Within six months they were receiving calls for more. Thus began a career change into their fruitful Apple Flats business.
Much to the surprise of Glen and Alex, there was a dearth of crab apples. “Where have all the crab apples gone?” They asked. They visited the Etobicoke Food Terminal, but there were none there either, because nobody is selling crab apples. It turns out that they’ve been de-listed since 1968. Why? Because tiny cherry crab apples don’t fit in any of the sorting machines, and so nobody wants them. Due to those pressures, crab apples declined and functionally disappeared by 1988.
Opportunity knocked. Glen and Alex planted their own crab apple trees on their family property, and are the only ones in the world to graft a high-density crab apple orchard. Rather than spray, they nourish and cultivate the ecosystem that is already there to ensure the cleanest, healthiest product.
Today, Apple Flats operates the largest urban crab apple harvest in the world, with 2500 trees across southern Ontario. 20 thousand pounds come from crab apple trees in Stratford that would otherwise go to waste.
Apple Flats’ ciders and sodas are becoming all the rage as a product that is unique to the Stratford area. Cider blends like Peach Crab Apple, Pear Crab Apple, or the Pure Crab Apple, and sodas like the Sour Apple, Juicy Pear, and Harvest Pear are soft citric refreshments that are crisp and tangy. The balance of sweetness and acidity sings of summer in Southwest Ontario, and makes for sweet and effervescent palate-openers in winter.
The passion for crab apples is shaking up an industry that has focused only on apples for generations. The pectin in crab apples helps maintain good gut health, and the quercetin helps regulate the immune system and reduce inflammation, but more than that, it tastes disarmingly good. Far from being crabby, one sip of Apple Flats crab apple cider will make your taste buds dance with delight.
