Culinary Students asking public for crab apples

Culinary Arts students started classes this week and are already busy harvesting campus crops, but spring frost put a damper on this year's crab apple yield.

It’s harvest season again at Assiniboine Community College!

Crops grown on campus make their way to the Manitoba Institute of Culinary Arts where they're used in delicious dishes at ticketed community events like the annual ‘Harvest on the Hill'. Some foods are also canned or pickled and stored for use later in the year.

Last year, the college harvested more than 1,400 kg of crops from grow plots, orchard and sustainable greenhouse.

Typically the small orchard on campus produces crab apples. However, this year it was hit by frost in the spring and the yield was very small as a result.

The Culinary Arts program is asking anyone in the community that has free crab apples to spare to phone 204.725.8741 or 204.725.8700 ext 6136.

While students and instructors are unable to pick apples from the trees, they can arrange for a pick-up or drop-off of fruit that’s been harvested. The apples will be turned into juice and jelly to be used at events throughout the year. In total, students are looking for 200 to 400 kilograms.