One of my favorite summer hobbies is to visit the local orchard to pick fruits and vegetables. Produce that is ripe when picked tastes infinitely better than the grocery stores because the veggies/fruits have had time to develop their flavors on the plant. For example, I've had blueberries seconds after being picked from the bush, and they 're so sweet that I didn't have to add any additional sugar or honey when using these blue orbs for my blueberry pies. Anyone that has grown their own tomatoes or other edibles will sing praises about homegrown over store-bought stuff.
There are some really great U-Pick orchards in Michigan, but I bet you can find some amazing berries and herbs right beyond your own backyard.
Things have been quite busy for me lately, so I haven't had a chance to visit those orchards yet (sadfives). "Fear not! There are tasty things all around if you know where to look," said a foraging friend, as he regaled me with tales of delicious fruits hanging just within reach of my own home. Oh yes, a whole network of urban foragers have collaborated to map out all the public fruit trees that can be picked by anyone! The is a website called Falling Fruit (fallingfruit.org), and it's truly magical.
The Fall Fruit map spans all across the US, plus a bunch of other countries around the world. The websites says that so far they have pinpointed 1,262 different types of edibles (most, but not all, plant species) distributed over 787,470 locations. Talk about super-local produce waiting just for you!
Within bicycling distance of my home, I used this website to find a really cool, unique berry called the Juneberry. They taste like a combination of blueberries and almonds, and they will make an amazing pie and a few jars of jam.
As I was picking these berries (all six pounds of them), I could feel myself really getting into foraging. Many of the plants and fruits that grow in the wild can't be found in typical grocery stores. For super unique, delicious things that have the taste of homegrown without the hassle of gardening? I'm all in.
With free fruit hanging low on your local branches, why not pick some for your next delicious creation? You'll have a really cool story to tell as people are enjoy your dish!
As I was picking these berries (all six pounds of them), I could feel myself really getting into foraging. Many of the plants and fruits that grow in the wild can't be found in typical grocery stores. For super unique, delicious things that have the taste of homegrown without the hassle of gardening? I'm all in.
With free fruit hanging low on your local branches, why not pick some for your next delicious creation? You'll have a really cool story to tell as people are enjoy your dish!
