What happens to apples that fall on the ground?

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Apples that end up on the ground are not wasted. Many times farmers come to collect the apple drops to feed to livestock. If apples are not picked up, they are mowed at the end of the season and help to fertilize next year's crop.



In respect to this, can you eat apples that have fallen on the ground?

As you walk around the apple orchards this fall, you'll likely notice a lot of apples lying on the ground. Well, it is safe to eat them, but not recommended (unless it fell when you were picking a different apple). You can pick them up, but they might be a little dirty and there could be bugs crawling all over them.

Additionally, should you pick up fallen apples? If you leave fallen apples on your lawn, they will very quickly kill the grass underneath them, while also attracting wasps. But picking up apples is a back-breaking task - and raking them up is not much better, as a Spring Rake (which we use in Autumn, ha!

Furthermore, what do orchards do with apples on the ground?

Apples that end up on the ground are not wasted. Many times farmers come to collect the apple drops to feed to livestock. If apples are not picked up, they are mowed at the end of the season and help to fertilize next year's crop.

Can you eat fruit that has fallen on the ground?

It's also better not to eat the fruit if it's been on the ground for more than a day or two; the possibility of it being mouldy is much higher then. Even if the fruit looks alright on the outside, it can still be hiding mould and bacteria beneath the skin.

36 Related Question Answers Found

What can I do with fallen apples?

But here are some other ways to use up these apples:
  1. To Bake an Apple Pie, Crumble or Turnover.
  2. To Make Windfall Apple Butter.
  3. To Make Dried Windfall Apple Slices.
  4. To Make Fruit Leathers.
  5. To Make Apple Juice/ Fresh Cider.

What can I do with immature apples?

Add chopped unripe apples to your compost pile. Cover them with other compost materials to avoid an insect infestation. You can also use dried unripe apples for home decorating. Core and slice the apples, then process them in a food dehydrator or let them dry in the sun, but watch out for bugs.

Will apples ripen in fridge?

They prefer the refrigeration. Apples keep longest when held at 31-36 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you want to keep them in the coolest part of the refrigerator. Unlike some fruits, apples continue to ripen long after they are picked off the tree.

How do you know when apples are ready to pick?

Color: Typically, apples have a red color (with a bit of light green around the stem) when they are ripe. But color is sometimes misleading. Instead of checking the skin color, cut open the apple or take a bite and look at the seed colors. If they're dark brown, it's ripe.

How do you ripen a fallen apple?


To help with your unripe Apples we always wrap ours in newspaper, lay them in layers but not touching each other, then place a Banana in the box and leave several days/ week, check every few days and the Apples tomato's etc will ripen as the gas given off by the Bananas helps, this is why when you buy fruit or veg from

When should Apples not be eaten?

A decomposing apple will be soft and squishy. You should not be able to squeeze any juice out of a fresh apple with your hand. If an apple is too soft inside or if the skin of the apple is wrinkled and loose, throw it out. Check the apple for discolored spots.

Why do apples drop off trees?

Often, a period of stress (a long, hot summer with very little rain) will cause a tree to abort its fruit in order to conserve energy. Apple trees require deep watering during drought. Lack of pollination can result in pea-size fruit that falls off prematurely.

Why do ripe fruits fall to the ground?

The objects having more mass pull the objects having less mass. As fruits have lesser mass as compared to earth, hence they fall down from trees. the fruit fall from plant to the ground because of gravitational force applied by the earth.

Can I make applesauce with unripe apples?

Unripe apples are bitter and hard when raw, but once cooked they are palatable and edible, but not very sweet. I used the pulp from the above process to make some applesauce, which I bottled to use in other recipes, such as my Curried Sausage Pie, in the future.

Can apples ripen if picked early?


Apples continue to ripen after they leave the tree. When fully ripe they become mealy. Many people prefer to eat them prior to that, and some prefer them even more green. Many apples will begin drying out immediately after picking and some may lose their quality in just days.

Do rats eat windfall apples?

Rats are not very good at competing with other wildlife for 'natural' food. They need a regular source of high protein foods just eating windfall apples or similar types of food will not be enough for them to thrive and breed. Halting the food source is a vital part of ridding a garden of rats.

What are drop apples?

Sometimes a fruit tree naturally sheds fruit – especially in heavy bearing years – because it does not have the nutrient resources to support a large amount of fruit. This typically happens in early summer and is sometimes called “June drop”. Apples also give off a gas called ethylene which causes fruit to ripen.

How do you clean fallen apples?

Then it dawned on me, borrow a friend's manure rake (used to pick up horse "apples") to clean up my fallen apples. I was able to rake apples into a pile, scoop them up, shake the basket to allow the pea gravel and dirt to fall out, and toss them into the garbage.

Can you juice unripe apples?

Using Unripe Apples. In fact unripe apples contain much more pectin (which aids in jelling) than ripe apples so this would be a good use for them. I processed them just as you would regular apples by first making juice from them and then getting on with the jelly process.

Is it safe to eat apples from my tree?


The apples growing on your tree should be safe to eat, but throw out any of the fruit laying on the ground. It won't hurt your tree, but the salts will leave burn marks in your lawn. Although you tree won't absorb any toxin from them, your dog's feces are more of a serious health risk.

How do you use excess eating apples?

Top tips for an abundance of apples
  1. Dry them. Dried Apples, along with other dried fruit, is a snacking favourite.
  2. Puree them. Apple puree can be used in a variety of ways – apple crumbles, apple pies or just as it is.
  3. Pickle them. One of the best ways to get through your windfalls is to turn them into cider.
  4. Juice them.
  5. Bake them.

How do you pick crab apples?

Scoop up the pile of crab apples with a large scoop shovel or a flat shovel. If you don't have a flat shovel or scoop shovel, you can flip the broom rake over and push the crab apples onto the rake head.