Wild Apples & Cider: Scientist’s Roadside Harvest Adventure

A Sydney-based scientist is turning a common roadside nuisance – feral apples – into a unique cider, blending a passion for foraging with a scientific curiosity about genetics and fermentation. Lucien Alperstein, a PhD candidate at UNSW researching probiotics for aquaculture, has spent the last decade collecting apples from trees growing along country roads in New South Wales and South Australia.

The project began with a simple curiosity. Alperstein recounted filling the boot of his parents’ Toyota sedan during his first apple-picking expedition. “Those wild apples were destined for drinking rather than eating,” he said. He was spurred by rumors of abandoned fruit trees thriving in rural areas. “Whether they [grew] from apple cores that people have thrown out the window or [from] wildlife that had picked up fruit from orchards and dropped off or pooed out the seeds,” he explained, detailing the chaotic nature of their origins.

Alperstein’s foraging expeditions, spanning from the Southern Highlands of New South Wales to the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, have revealed a remarkable diversity of roadside fruit. He can encounter up to 30 different trees – plums, peaches, nectarines, pears, crabapples, quinces, and numerous apple varieties – along a single kilometer stretch. This variability is a direct result of the haphazard way seeds are dispersed. “Some of them are beautiful, like really rich, very aromatic, sweet, [and] juicy,” he noted, while others are small, tart, and high in tannins.

He’s discovered apples with dark red skin and pink flesh, noting that the more unusual fruits often lend themselves better to cider-making than eating. The key difference, he explains, lies in how these apples grow. Unlike commercially cultivated apples which are typically grafted, wild apples grow from seed, meaning “every single apple seed in an apple is a completely different species.” This genetic diversity presents a potential resource for discovering new apple varieties.

What began as a hobby has evolved into a collaborative project. Alperstein now works with Marrickville brewery Wildflower on his “Road Cider” project, having progressed from backyard batches to a more substantial operation. He acknowledges the inherent unpredictability of relying on wild fruit. “Apples tend towards only fruiting every second year,” he said, adding that unpruned trees often have a large yield one year followed by a sparse harvest the next.

The cider-making process itself is relatively simple: crushing the apples, pressing the juice, and then allowing it to ferment naturally using the wild yeasts present on the fruit. Alperstein sometimes adds pears or even sorbus fruits to the mix, and quince for an aromatic quality. He describes the resulting cider as having a drier mouthfeel compared to commercially produced, sweeter varieties.

Alperstein is not the only one interested in these overlooked resources. He’s encountered others foraging for fruit, and websites like Roadside Fruit Trees highlight their potential. However, the status of these trees is not always secure, as some local councils may require their removal due to their non-native status or proximity to roads. “I think in some parts they can kind of become a little bit of a weed and outcompete with native plants,” Alperstein conceded.

Despite the uncertainties, Alperstein remains driven by his passion for roadside foraging. “But if you were to go driving in the right kind of environment, with a decent amount of rainfall and cold winters, and put on what I call your ‘apple eyes’, I would be pretty shocked if you didn’t find any,” he said, suggesting that these hidden orchards are more common than many realize.