(Kind of) free fruit in your neighborhood

People who know me well, know that I love to eat fruit.  I prefer fruit over sweets such as ice cream and chocolate. (not that I would necessarily turn the other two down if offered!)  So when I found out that there was a website called Falling Fruit that listed the locations of "public" fruit trees for the (considerate) taking, I was so excited!  I found blackberries, plums, persimmons and even fig trees in town.  Expanding the search area, I found other interesting varieties such as apricot and loquat.  Nut trees are also listed.  I haven't visited the locations yet but it was comforting to know that if I was strapped for cash, I could forage.  The database isn't comprehensive; it depends on people's contributions and willingness to share locations to the public.  For example, I went to check for trees in Hawaii, as Kaleb and I had found mango trees growing wild on the hiking trails, but not very many were listed.

picking mangoes from trees in Maui

Of course, just because the fruit is free for the taking, doesn't mean that it's good for you.  There could be chemicals, pollution or pesticides depending on the tree location, so use your good judgement.  Don't forget to wash fruit and peel the skin (if possible) before consuming.

You can read about good etiquette on public foraging at the Urban Edibles website based in Portland, OR.

Happy gathering!