The fruit that we forage plays a massive part in our nutrition over the winter and means that we can have lovely desserts at low cost. Locally we find black berries, cherries, raspberries, pears and apples. When on holiday we have found plums and damsons. Even if you live in a town as we do you there is wild fruit growing in hedgerows, on the edge or woods in parks, at the side of a road, and along the canal. Birds often drop seeds that grow into trees or bushes if not intentionally planted there. This year has been a brilliant for scrumping for apples.
Even though our favourite trees were chopped down by the council last year, we have found 6 new trees within a mile of our house. For the past 3 weeks we have filled a bag, waited a week for other people to take some, and then gone back when we see that they are still there. The thing that I like about picking wild apples in the wild is that they are organic, have not been sprayed and so the peels and cores are good for making apple cider vinegar.
We start looking for apple trees in Spring when the blossom is on the trees, and make a note of where they are. If on the edge of a wood they often stand out at this time of the year. You wouldn’t believe how many times when my life was busy I passed these trees without even noticing them. Even if you can not find any wild trees it is worth asking on your local social media page to see if any one has any apples that they would like picking in their garden in exchange for being allowed to keep some, or a product that you are making with them. We have a local cider company that source most of their apples in this way.
People ask us what we do with all these apples. In the past we have made apple cider and still have some stored now. We also make things like apple juice, various cakes, fruit leathers, crumbles, chutney, and compote to have with porridge or custard. The nicest ones we wrap in in newspaper and store in a cardboard box to put in our fruit bowl over winter (check them every few weeks to make sure that there are not any bad ones. If there are, remove them).
Apples have lots of health benefits. Remember the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away? They have been shown in studies to lower cholesterol, stabilise blood sugar, ease inflammation, and reduce blood pressure. Apples are also easy to carry as a snack, that are full of fibre and are only about 60 calories each. They are best eaten raw as cooking them reduces the nutrients,, but they do make some lovely desserts which are a treat when money is tight.
Here are some other apple recipes that we have made to make the most of this free resource.
Apple scones with caramel drip
Gluten and sugar free apple cake
For some more ideas please see a blog that I wrote in 2022 about foraging for apples
There seems to be an abundance of apples this year, and so why not carry a bag with you and have a wander to see if you can find lovely, free food?
I visited my mum yesterday and picked the apples off the tree in her garden. I came home with about 100 apples and 20 pears. You’re right , this seems to be a bumper year for apples!! :-) xxx
Yes the weather conditions must have been just right. I hope that you enjoy cooking with them
I’ve checked ours in the garden they look ripe but aren’t dropping easily when you twist them & when I opened a wind blown one the pips where still green. I’m still going to use the ones on the floor for cider vinegar if I chop off the bad bits . I think that should be ok . X
Yes ACV is a good shout for the windblown ones. Mine in my garden aren’t ready yet but the wild ones were dropping off the branch as I picked them.
The first house in our road had some apple trees in the garden and the old lady who lived there used to put boxes of apples out each day but sadly she has gone, house sold and new people had all the trees chopped down. We had some apple trees not far away by a main road but 2 years ago the council took them down. Sometimes people have left some out by their gates but last year we had some apples from a house 2 doors away as they have a tree with lovely cooking or eating apples and they just let them drop as they don’t like them. I was surprised that although they taste really nice as eating apples they cook like a Bramley. The lady went away yesterday for 3 weeks but we can have some when she returns. We have already give her rhubarb, and she has had a spaghetti squash this year.
That sounds l8ke a good swap x
Im surrounded by apples this year. My apple tree in the front garden is covered in apples., nothing on it for 9 years! My son up the road has 3 huge apple trees absolutely ladden with apples and my friend who lives behind me her trees are full, so your recipes are going to be very useful. Thanks
Yes it does seem to be a good year for fruit. Enjoy. I just water bathed apple and blackberry compote today
Amazing lot of ideas, thank you so much. Now off to get cooking!
Brilliant. Thanks