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Fruit rescuers scramble to save sweet Edmonton bounty during cold snap

If you're grasping for a silver lining to this early September snowfall in Alberta, Joshua Buck may have a handle on it.

"The apples are great," according to the Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton volunteer.

When temperatures dip, trees divert liquid to their roots by withdrawing some of the water from the fruit, increasing their sugar content and preventing them from freezing.

Adrienne Lamb/CBC
Adrienne Lamb/CBC

"It's what makes ice wine so delicious is that increase in sugar content, so the apples on the trees are still really, really good to eat."

Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton launched in 2009 and now has 150 volunteers.

David Landro
David Landro

The not-for-profit pickers answer the call from homeowners who have fruit to pick but don't have the time, ability or know-how.

A portion of the bounty goes to the homeowner, some goes to local charities and the volunteers keep the rest.

"I'll be honest, it started off I wanted to access apples so I could make hard cider in my basement. But since then, it's really grown into a passion to make sure that what we grow locally is consumed locally," admitted Buck.

He expects volunteers will be rescuing fruit right up until Thanksgiving. He also thinks this will be the group's best year yet, with an estimated 10,000 pounds plucked this season.

David Landro
David Landro

"You name a fruit, we probably grow it as long as it's not too tropical. Edmonton has a really great climate for growing fruit and a lot of people don't realize that," said Buck.

In the past, they've harvested pears, plums, olives, cherries and even northern kiwis.

Some of the same fruit can be found growing in Edmonton's river valley if you know where to look — and it turns out there's a map for that.

It's called the Open Data Edible Fruit Trees map.

The website pinpoints more than 21,250 trees on public lands where the fruit is free for the taking, according to Catherine Falk, community greening co-ordinator with the City of Edmonton.

Falk believes more and more people are grabbing a snack as they wander through public green spaces.

"I have noticed people picking saskatoon or chokecherry. I've had citizens contact me personally and ask for locations where they might be able to harvest high-bush cranberries," said Falk.

Adrienne Lamb/CBC
Adrienne Lamb/CBC

Falk cautions against eating anything you can't identify and says that not all fruits are ideal for all purposes.

"For example, we have hundreds of crabapple species in the city but really only one or two of them are actually edible — meaning that they're yummy."

Falk admits the Edmonton weather this September has been a bit "surprising" but, like Buck, she confirms some fruit is sweeter after the first frost.

For more on Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton, fall, food and fun you can tune into Our Edmonton Saturday at 10 a.m., Sunday at noon and Monday at 11 a.m. on CBC TV.

David Landro
David Landro