Free Fruit?!

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blondeinbuffalo
Posts: 939
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 5:37 am

Free Fruit?!

Post by blondeinbuffalo »

I am on the hunt for unclaimed fruit. my one pear tree died and the other is still not bearing fruit, so waiting for next year. yesterday I went to a local park and found an apple tree with lot o fruit. I may go back to get some, I was not prepared to pick as I was with a client. I am on the search for a neglected pear tree and looking for recipes for crab apples as I have a large crab apple with lots of fruit. anyone have any recipes? I saw a lot of mushrooms too at the park but not sure which are safe so I left them alone! cj
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Jackielou
Posts: 13423
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:51 pm

Re: Free Fruit?!

Post by Jackielou »

I usually get apples and plums from my neighbour. Jams, jellies, and pie filling are what I make out of them.

This year our cherry trees produced again and I managed to get enough for jam and dried cherries. The wasps arrived then and it was a feast for them and a famine for me. I was not going to argue with them.

I would have loved to pick Saskatoons (like a blueberry only smaller) but the ticks were terrible so I stayed away from that.

I need to find a chokecherry tree cause I miss chokecherry jelly.

There are lots of good recipes on line for crab apple jelly. I would try one of those, or make a call out in the recipe folder for crab apple recipes.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
dlrcpa
Posts: 1546
Joined: Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:45 am

Re: Free Fruit?!

Post by dlrcpa »

In the fall I am always on the lookout for free or really cheap pumpkins. People just toss them into the woods to get rid of them (the decorative porch ones.) I found a few when walking the dog, also have been known to pull good ones from the trash! I cook them all. The Halloween type are edible if they have not been carved up, they are just a bit more work since the walls tend to be thinner. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin butter, pumpkin pasta sauce, pumpkin soup, mmmmmm.
alliesmama4
Posts: 8591
Joined: Sun Aug 30, 2015 10:10 pm
Location: Southern IL

Re: Free Fruit?!

Post by alliesmama4 »

Jackie when we had our summer home in Minnesota we used to make chokecherry jelly and syrup. It was so good! The son of one of my mothers friends was sent on a 3 year stay in the antarctic and he came to my mothers house and asked for a long supply of her chokecherry jelly and syrup. He said it would brighten his days there. He was the one who went in ahead of the scientists and built the buildings that they would use..Another thing we used to make was wild strawberry jam. The berries were no bigger than my little finger nail.. It took forever to pick enough to make a batch of jam but it was soooo good! Janet Alliesmama
Janet Alliesmama
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Jackielou
Posts: 13423
Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 7:51 pm

Re: Free Fruit?!

Post by Jackielou »

We used to pick wild strawberries when we went north to my Grandpas farm. So much flavour for just a tiny berry. Loved them. It is a bit too dry here for wild strawberries, but I keep looking when I am out and about wooded areas.
Jackie
http://inthelandofthelivingskiesii.blogspot.ca/
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ErinHuffstetler
Site Admin
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2014 3:42 pm

Re: Free Fruit?!

Post by ErinHuffstetler »

looking for recipes for crab apples as I have a large crab apple with lots of fruit. anyone have any recipes?
You've come to the right place :) Here are a couple crabapple recipes that I made last year:

http://www.myfrugalhome.com/crabapple-butter-recipe/
http://www.myfrugalhome.com/crabapple-sauce-recipe/
Erin Huffstetler
Editor, MyFrugalHome.com
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