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Environment, nature and climate

September environmental tip: Share fruit - yellow ribbons invite you to harvest

September brings fruit, such as apples, pears and plums. Owners of fruit trees do not always manage to pick and process the precious fruit themselves. To prevent fruit from ending up unused in the garbage can, the Yellow Ribbon Harvest Campaign was launched.

A large, green fruit tree stands in a field with tall grass and a clear blue sky in the background. A yellow ribbon is tied around the trunk of the tree.
Trees marked with a yellow ribbon may be harvested.

If you want to make fruit from your own tree available for others to harvest, you can mark your fruit tree with a yellow ribbon. It signals this: You can pick fruit here or collect it from the ground. The yellow ribbons are available in the Umweltladen and in all Wiesbaden local administrations. So that interested parties can find your tree, you can report the location using an online form and have it published on the state capital's website.

Fallen fruit is great for jams

Eaten at the right time, fallen fruit is often great for eating straight away or for making jam. If the fruit falls to the ground, the impact causes bruises that inevitably start to rot after a few days. If the fruit has not been lying for too long, brown spots can be cut out and the remaining fruit can be eaten or processed straight away. However, the fruit should be washed thoroughly before eating.

Intact fruit without bruises can also be stored unprocessed; the shelf life and ideal storage conditions vary depending on the type of fruit.

Ideas for processing and tips for storing apples, pears and many other types of fruit can be found on the "Too good for the garbage can" website in the practical food encyclopaedia.

Harvesting fruit from farms is not permitted without explicit authorization. However, even in private orchards or orchards maintained by initiatives, harvesting is only permitted where the yellow ribbon is visible or permission has otherwise been granted. Treat the trees and the surrounding nature with care.

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