“We’re always looking for more wild apples,” explains Martin Bernstein, co-founder of Abandoned Cider, a hard cider company based in New York’s Hudson Valley that incorporates apples from wild trees into many of their cider products.
“We’re always looking for more wild apples,” explains Martin Bernstein, co-founder of Abandoned Cider, a hard cider company based in New York’s Hudson Valley that incorporates apples from wild trees into many of their cider products.
One hundred years ago, people planted apple trees in floodplains because it’s where the land was flat and the soil was deep. Many landowners still have wild apple forests on their properties, especially in these floodplains alongside rivers. An abandoned apple tree is one that is no longer actively pruned or cared for. After a tree is abandoned for about ten years, they are considered “wild” and tend to produce fruit every other year (biennially) instead of annually.
Exchange wild apples from your property for locally produced hard cider. Photo: M. Bernstein
Abandoned Cider actively seeks out apples growing on private property. Sometimes Bernstein just hops in his car and drives the roads that run alongside rivers and streams, calling up folks who appear to have wild apple trees on their land to see if he can come and harvest some.
2021 was a “mast year” for many wild apple trees in our region, which means they produced a lot of fruit. This year, 2022, the trees will focus on vegetative growth (branches and leaves) instead of fruit production so Abandoned Cider is especially interested in getting extra apples from private landowners.
Landowners can collect their apples and donate them to Abandoned Cider in exchange for a 4-pack of hard cider for every bushel of apples. One bushel is 42 lbs. or approximately 120 medium sized apples. The company will provide a Harvest Kit that includes instructions, a tarp, and a container in which to store the apples until they can be dropped off at one of their locations.
By shaking apple tree limbs, only the ripe fruit falls. Photo: M. Bernstein
To harvest wild apples, Bernstein recommends placing a tarp under the tree and shaking the limbs so the ripe fruits fall off. Apples that stay on the branches aren’t ready yet. Once the apples are collected, they should be stored in a box or breathable bag so they don’t rot.
In addition to making tasty cider, wild apple trees support wildlife. Deer, bear, and wild turkeys eat their fruit and over 300 species of caterpillars will feed on their leaves. Done properly, pruning an abandoned apple tree will help them grow even more fruit for humans and critters alike.
Wild apples make tasty cider and provide an excellent food source for wildlife. Photo: M. Bernstein
To find out more and to request a Harvest Kit, contact Martin Bernstein and his team at
