“Free is a very good price and not letting food go to waste is vitally important. These days, most cities have organizations that harvest fruit from trees on city property or neglected residential lots. If you city does not offer such a program, you can just check our your neighborhood to see if there are any unattended fruit trees. Those old trees may not always offer the best quality fruit, but they are, nonetheless, producing. If the neighborhood fruit trees appear unattended, check with the property owner to see if he or she minds you gleaning from them. And remember to employ the gleaner's ethic, which means, don't pick the tree bare. Leave some for others.”
This weekend, we were able to pick more than 10 pounds of luscious and sweet raspberries and blueberries! The blueberries we picked from a local organic farm nearby for $3/lb. And the raspberries were free! Total cost = $8.00. Can't beat that! And while we did enjoy some of them fresh, I primarily froze them for future use in cakes, muffins, scones, waffles, smoothies, or oatmeal! Mmmmm!
Sure – it takes a little bit of work to preserve the harvest for the winter. But man, oh man, is it worth it! Fresh, local fruit picked at the peak of freshness. And sometimes – for free!
Now all I need is a big, fat, giant bowl of freshly whipped cream. To smother my berries in and lap up like a thirsty dog. Oh man, do I love me some freshly whipped sweet cream.
It's probably best if no photos are taken of that berry eating event. I must set my blogging boundaries somewhere.
LivingSoAbundantly
What a way to get fresh produce! 🙂
Quinn
How exciting to get all that wonderfully beautiful fresh fruit!!
Homemade Alaska
Wonderful post. So many people think they have to buy store bought or upick, there are trees like you mention everywhere. Well all but here…. they don’t grow here in AK and I sure do miss that wonderful variety! I posted about gleaning some blueberries myself, well picking wild that is.
Kendra at New Life On A Homestead
That’s so awesome! It’s funny that we were doing the same thing over the weekend on our different sides of the country 🙂 Sure wish I could find some raspberries to glean! Yummmm. Enjoy your blessings!
Homesteading Chic
That is great that you have so many people you can get fresh food from! I guess I need to keep my eyes open more. 🙂
Country Girl
Wonderful thoughts
Anita
What’s that quote…
“Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he’ll never go hungry.”
I came across your blog a week or so ago…Loving it bunches and trying out some of your recipes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and recipes.
Elizabeth
I know I’m late to the party here, but we also give frozen fruit from the summer harvest as Christmas presents. It’s always a nice surprise to receive!