It’s amazing the number of fruit trees around Boulder that you can see when you start looking. Apples, plums, crabapples, pears–there’s a lot of fruit just hanging around. Usually, you can get the fruit for free. In this article, you can learn how to gather fruit in Boulder County.

First, you need to find the trees. The easiest way is to ride your bicycle around when trees are fruiting. It’s relatively simple at that time to tell which have edible fruit. Note that the fruits may look smaller and less beautiful than what you’ll find in the grocery store. Of course, if you have any doubts about whether a fruit is edible, err on the safe side: don’t eat it.

After you’ve identified a fruit tree, you need to find out if you may harvest the fruit. If it is on public property, such as a park, you don’t need any permission. On the other hand, if it is on private land, ask the property owner. The easiest way to find the status of the property is to use the County Tax Assessor’s website, which will give you the owner’s mailing address.

If you can’t reach the property owner, and the tree is in a median or between the sidewalk and the street, you can call the Planning Department of your city or county and verify that the location is public domain. Alternatively, if the fruit tree overhangs the public thoroughfare, then, according to the Boulder Planning Department, you can take whatever you can reach. However, the simplest solution is to ask the property owner. In addition, talking to the property owner, or whoever manages the tree, lets you ask about use of pesticides.

To find the manager of a tree on public property, you can call the appropriate department; for parks, call the Parks Department, for roadside trees, call the Transportation Department. You may have to talk to several different people to get your question answered. Both the City of Boulder Parks Department and County of Boulder Transportation Department told that they do not spray trees. If the trees were sprayed, ask if the pesticide was designed for human consumption and how long the the waiting period is before consumption is safe. Clues such as the presence of pests can help you determine whether pesticides were applied, but the simplest, surest way to do so is to ask the tree owner or manager.

Once you’ve determined the ownership and pesticide status of the fruit, harvest it. You can just use your hands, but harvesting the fruit is easier with a fruit catcher. This is a metal basket with some teeth attached to a pole. Most hardware stores will have them. Collect your fruit in a bag, and head home to use it. Since it is a bit smaller and probably not as bug free as fruit from a super market, do some processing. I harvested about 10 pounds of apples in August 2007. In the end, I had 10 small apples that didn’t have some kind of worm damage; those I kept to eat raw. The rest I cooked into applesauce, which I froze. There are any number of recipes on the web, and I’ve found the Encyclopedia of Country Living to be full of useful recipes as well. Remember, it’s better to pick fruit than let be wasted.

Here’s your short introduction to picking fruit around the County of Boulder. Please call your local government to find out what specific rules govern fruit picking. Remember to be respectful of property owners and keep your eyes open for trees!