A Sydney scientist is foraging for wild apples along country roads, not for a snack, but to craft a unique cider and explore the genetics of these often-overlooked fruits. Lucien Alperstein, a PhD candidate at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), has been collecting apples from trees growing along roadsides in New South Wales and South Australia for over a decade.
Alperstein’s unusual hobby began with a rumour of feral fruit trees and a drive with a friend about an hour and a half outside of Sydney. “There were just apples everywhere,” they recalled, describing how the initial harvest filled the boot of their parents’ car. The scientist’s research at UNSW focuses on testing probiotics for apply in aquaculture, but this “guerilla” activity sparked a curiosity about the science of genetics and fermentation.
The apples Alperstein finds are remarkably diverse. Along a single kilometer stretch of road, they can encounter up to 30 different trees bearing plums, peaches, nectarines, pears, crabapples, quinces and numerous apple varieties. This variability stems from the chaotic nature of seed dispersal – whether from cores tossed from car windows or seeds spread by wildlife. “Some of them are beautiful, like really rich, very aromatic, sweet, [and] juicy,” Alperstein said, whereas others are compact, tart, and high in tannins. “There’s one tree I found that makes fruit that has really dark red skin and inside the flesh is pink, but a lot of the more weird and wonderful fruit lends itself better to cider than for eating.”
Unlike commercially grown apples, which are typically grafted from rootstock, wild apples grow from seed, meaning each apple contains a completely different genetic makeup. Alperstein believes these wild varieties could be a valuable resource for discovering new apple types.
Over the past decade, Alperstein’s operation has grown from backyard batches to a collaboration with Marrickville brewery Wildflower on the “Road Cider” project. They have sold bottles and cases to friends, families, and strangers, but the supply remains unreliable due to the unpredictable fruiting patterns of wild trees. “Apples tend towards only fruiting every second year,” Alperstein explained. “If they’re not pruned, as these are all wild trees that no-one’s looking after, they have a big year of fruiting one year [and] the next year they’ll hardly develop any fruit at all.”
The cider-making process relies on natural fermentation. Alperstein crushes the apples, presses out the juice, and then allows wild yeasts present on the fruit to ferment it. Pears are sometimes added to the mix, and occasionally a fruit called a sorbus or a handful of quince to add aromatic complexity. The resulting cider has a drier mouthfeel compared to commercially produced sweet ciders.
Alperstein is not the only one drawn to roadside fruit trees. They have encountered others foraging for apples to make sauce or juice, or simply enjoying a snack. Websites like Roadside Fruit Trees highlight these trees as an “enormously under-valued resource,” but also acknowledge that, as a non-native species, some local councils require their removal due to potential competition with native plants.
While Alperstein maintains a personal map of fruitful locations, others are hesitant to share them publicly, fearing the trees will be lost. However, Alperstein believes that with the right conditions – sufficient rainfall and cold winters – and a keen eye, anyone can discover these hidden harvests. They don’t know what the future holds for their project, but their passion for roadside picking will continue to drive their travel plans.