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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think people would want free apples?

140 replies

MsFannySqueers · 29/09/2022 14:53

We have one apple tree in our garden. Some years we get barely any apples but this year we have had a large amount of apples. They are large organic cooking apples with not a blemish on them. They are very tasty when cooked. I have peeled, chopped and frozen about 50 of them so far. I will use them over the coming winter for pies,crumbles, muffins etc. I have given some to one neighbour who wanted them.
So to my AIBU. I then left a big pile of them in a container on my gatepost for days. Put a sign up for anyone to help themselves. How many have gone? Two! Two apples. I even left paper bags out to put them in! So!

YABU People can’t be bothered with all that faff, they are busy and haven’t got the time/additional ingredients to prepare and use apples even if they are free. Plus how can they afford to cook them!

YANBU It’s free apples, a bit of preparation, a few added basic ingredients and you could have some tasty treats. The cost of cooking them will be somewhat offset by the fact they were free.

OP posts:
FromageRouge · 29/09/2022 15:41

but it's shocking (to me!) how few people seem to know how to make basic apple crumbles from scratch these days. My DD for example would be clueless.

Young people do now how to cook if their parents bother to teach them.

OldManEmu · 29/09/2022 15:39

In our village, someone (not sure who) puts a massive crate of apples by a bench right in the middle of the village with a sign saying 'free cooking apples'. They usually go within a day, I'm always annoyed that they're gone by the end of the day. Next time I'll stop the car dead in the road to get some 😂. But maybe this works better because it's not directly in front of the givers' house and therefore no one feels judged by the amount they take?

ThrowingSomeCrumbs · 29/09/2022 15:38

We have a tree that produced lots and lots of very excellent eaters. I've put half a dozen in paper bags, put them on drive in a box with a "bags of apples, please help yourself" and they all go really quickly! This is in London suburb-ish.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 29/09/2022 15:36

Heswipedright · 29/09/2022 15:32

In times of yore, people were jailed for stealing apples from trees. I passed by a cardboard box of apples about a year ago with a sign saying 'free' but I was on my way off somewhere which wouldn't have been a place into which you brought a load of apples (I was going on a date). I did spend time thinking about it though and didn't know how many apples might be an acceptable amount to take. Was I allowed to take 1? 2? The dithering meant I didn't take any but on my way back, there were no apples.

I would feel like somebody rejected me by rejecting my apples lol

I would say 5-6 was the norm, a crumble or pies worth :)

paintitallover · 29/09/2022 15:36

If you can eat then raw too, store some in the shed for later.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 29/09/2022 15:34

TeaTurtle · 29/09/2022 15:29

Having seen that some people’s sheds look like miniature chemical plants and some liberal applications of over-concentrated Roundup 😱, I do admit to having concerns about what pesticides and chemicals people may use, so putting pesticide/ chemical free might help!

As PP, I also love marrows 👍

I dont think many people climb fruit trees to spray them Grin

Original poster
MsFannySqueers · 29/09/2022 15:34

Yes @Heswipedright I did feel a tiny bit rejected ha ha!

OP posts:
Original poster
MsFannySqueers · 29/09/2022 15:33

Apple Dutch Baby !

OP posts:
Heswipedright · 29/09/2022 15:32

In times of yore, people were jailed for stealing apples from trees. I passed by a cardboard box of apples about a year ago with a sign saying 'free' but I was on my way off somewhere which wouldn't have been a place into which you brought a load of apples (I was going on a date). I did spend time thinking about it though and didn't know how many apples might be an acceptable amount to take. Was I allowed to take 1? 2? The dithering meant I didn't take any but on my way back, there were no apples.

I would feel like somebody rejected me by rejecting my apples lol

Original poster
MsFannySqueers · 29/09/2022 15:30

Thanks all! I have enjoyed reading your replies and some very good tips! I am currently looking at recipes for Dutch Apple Baby.

OP posts:
WaltzingWaters · 29/09/2022 15:30

I wish you were near me! I’d be making apple crumble every night! (Dp would be very happy about that too!)

purplecorkheart · 29/09/2022 15:30

A neighbour of mine used to give them to the local Nursing Homes and meals on wheels service. They were always delighted with them

NotAnotherUserNumber · 29/09/2022 15:29

@ZeroFuchsGiven maybe it’s a bad year for rhubarb. I wanted to buy some the other day and it is £8 per kg from Ocado!, so perhaps there is a shortage.

TeaTurtle · 29/09/2022 15:29

Having seen that some people’s sheds look like miniature chemical plants and some liberal applications of over-concentrated Roundup 😱, I do admit to having concerns about what pesticides and chemicals people may use, so putting pesticide/ chemical free might help!

As PP, I also love marrows 👍

ZeroFuchsGiven · 29/09/2022 15:28

ShortOfShorts · 29/09/2022 15:26

I put our plums out with a note saying any cash donations in return for the fruit go to Great Ormond Street. We get piles of coins through the letterbox, and the plums all go. Maybe try saying ‘pay what you can’ and naming a charity, and see if that helps?

Well only if the money IS going to charity.

ShortOfShorts · 29/09/2022 15:26

I put our plums out with a note saying any cash donations in return for the fruit go to Great Ormond Street. We get piles of coins through the letterbox, and the plums all go. Maybe try saying ‘pay what you can’ and naming a charity, and see if that helps?

Shodan · 29/09/2022 15:26

Blimey I wish you lived near me.

No-one ever does that round here.

Although ds2 recently brought me home a bunch of carnations that someone was giving away. So there's that.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 29/09/2022 15:25

ChimChimeny · 29/09/2022 15:24

There's a house near me who has rhubarb outside at times, it never lasts long.

We have an agreement with a neighbour he can have the apples off our tree, he Just helps himself.

now rhubarb this year seems to be non existant, I was chatting the other day about this with someone. I wonder if its just my area and due to weather conditions over summer. I'm in Lincolnshire

ChimChimeny · 29/09/2022 15:24

There's a house near me who has rhubarb outside at times, it never lasts long.

We have an agreement with a neighbour he can have the apples off our tree, he Just helps himself.

ZeroFuchsGiven · 29/09/2022 15:23

girlmom21 · 29/09/2022 15:19

The people who leave fruit out near us live on country roads with nowhere to stop Grin

tbf I find this a lot, I am rural and there are loads of houses with eggs or fried/veg outside but they seem to be in places where you cant just stop and pull over lol

NotAnotherUserNumber · 29/09/2022 15:23

I would be delighted to take any free fruit. Unfortunately I live in London, so many people (including me) don’t have gardens so there aren’t that many fruit trees around (although I did harvest quite a lot of crab apples from a tree in the street nearby).

Phillpill · 29/09/2022 15:22

Are you near Hertfordshire? 😂

YumYummy · 29/09/2022 15:22

Half the houses in my road have little apple stalls outside and signs saying please take some. We can’t get rid of them.

Takingturnstogether · 29/09/2022 15:21

Have you got Olio app in your area? As a pp has said it's a good way to give away food. I've noticed that fruit is usually requested quite quickly.

I also have loads of apples from our tree, so wouldn't take yours. Maybe other people in your area are also inundated with apples!

Thatboymum · 29/09/2022 15:21

I wouldn’t take the apples but I’d take like apple muffins or apple pie if you put it out 🤣