Gleaning free fruit

I shared with you about my citrus trees and how much we’re enjoying harvesting them.

Maybe you don’t have citrus trees – but there’s a good chance you can enjoy some free, freshly picked produce, too.

This morning I was walking with my husband when we passed a pile of tree clippings. I always pause to see if there’s something I want to take a cutting of, and this time I saw one of the trees that had been pruned was a lemon tree. The prunings were filled with lemons.

I picked the fruit that was easily accessible; I could see more but didn’t take it all. Here it is:

This is one example of someone who has more than they can use, and the extra fruit has become a burden.

Many people have fruit trees that produce more than they can use, and the fruit ends up wasted. On my daily walk I see trees loaded with fruits, with many fallen fruits on the ground below.

If they have fruit trees, chances are good that they appreciate the fruits. Why would they not pick them? Maybe they have more than they can use, or their time and energy doesn’t allow them to harvest their trees. Maybe they moved into a home that already had fruit trees, and the fruit isn’t something that interests them.

Many people would love to see the fruits being used, and a bonus is that their yards will stay clean of all the rotting fruit that would otherwise surround the trees.

Obviously, some people might rather have the waste and mess rather than someone they don’t know coming into their space, and that is understandable. If someone came to me, I’d want to know they nice people, and weren’t going to destroy my trees, waste the fruit or make a mess in my yard.

You might have people you already know who you can approach; it’s easiest to start with them. My next door neighbor has a lot of fruit and one of my married children asked me why I don’t ask to harvest their trees. The answer is that I have enough of my own! But she had told me I was welcome to pick if I wanted, that she doesn’t have time for it right now.

Whether it’s someone you know or someone you’ve never met, before approaching someone with a fruit tree, keep in mind what their concerns might be. Be respectful, let them know you won’t leave a mess, and offer to give them some of the fruit you’ve picked. (I’ve never had anyone who wanted any of it, but some will.) You might want to bake them a pie or make some preserves with the fruit you picked that you’ll share with them.

I started gleaning free fruit when someone on Craigs List posted they had lots of fruit free for the picking, so I went with my children and we picked a bunch.

After seeing how happy the owners were that we came, I realized it was a mutually beneficial situation, and it didn’t look like we were poor and needy people who didn’t have money for food.

I approached two different owners of apple trees, both within a few streets of my home, and both agreed.

I approached the owner of two pear trees around the corner, and they agreed. None minded if I picked when they were there or not, and all were glad for the fruit to be used. One of them had children who watched us picking apples, and that made my children feel awkward.

I used every bit of that fruit. Some I turned into compote, preserves and chutneys, and took some over to the owners, thanking them again.

I have no doubt that I would still be able to pick those trees years later, based on the positive interactions we had.

There are plenty of trees in the public domain that you can pick without asking anyone. Even without making much of an effort, we’ve found and picked carobs, dates, figs, and olives.

Here in Israel the first tree we harvested was a pomegranate tree growing on our street. (You can see a picture of my then five year old with his haul.) My little boys picked loads of pomegranates from it, and from that time on, all the children in the neighborhood would pick them. But no one considered picking the fruit until then.

Aside from the free fruit you get, it’s a nice activity, by yourself or with your family! You get out in the fresh air and sunshine, and it’s a wholesome and enjoyable activity.

So don’t be bashful – if free, organic fruit interests you, give it a try!

Avivah