If you walk through the world with open eyes, you can often discover edible: The cherries of your neighbor hang over the fence, pears grow on the dirt road and in the forest it smells of fungi. We’ll tell you what and when you can harvest in public space. Also: When can you use legal use and when do you speak of theft? And what should you pay attention to with the harvest?
“Mouth robbery” was still listed in the Criminal Code until 1975. Lawyers described the stealing of food in small amounts for their own use. The aim of the paragraph was to distinguish poor people who stole from hunger from other thieves. Mouth robbery then asked for a lower punishment than theft. Since the abolition of the paragraph, however, the stealing of fruit and vegetables has been considered a normal theft with a corresponding punishment.
The term mouth robbery is still used in a popular saying when it comes to harvesting fruit, vegetables and co, which still occurs frequently today. After all, you discover many edible fruits, flowers, herbs or even mushrooms when you walk through the world with open eyes. Whether on the side of the road, the local orchard or in the park: You should find out good before harvesting so as not to unintentionally commit a crime.
Mouth robbery: what is allowed?
Basically, one may only harvest if the owner of the property agrees. The easiest way is to find out when the tree or shrub is marked with a yellow band. This license plate means: Here you can harvest because the owner does not make it himself. In all other cases, you have to be careful: the unauthorized picking then counts as theft.
Owners can also have non -fenced areas. You should therefore investigate the municipality as to whether it is a public property. If it is a leased agricultural area or a private property, the owner of the area can be asked for permission. This can also apply to trees on the edge of public paths and streets, since these areas are often leased. If you find fruit trees on a public reason, the city or community decides on the harvest permit. An inquiry from the Lower Nature Conservation Authority, the Green Space Office or the Road Traffic Authority can clarify uncertainties.
Operation with the neighbor or farmer?
A good neighborhood is worthwhile at the apple or cherry tree next door. Because even if the branches protrude on their own property, they legally belong to the neighbor. In most cases, it is therefore a good idea to simply ask if you can use the tree. Many people are happy about a little help with the harvest. Without permission, on the other hand, you have to wait until the fruit falls on your own property. Then you can collect it and enjoy it.
Another possibility of free harvest offers the so -called “stubble”. This is the name of the collecting of fruit and vegetables that are left behind after the professional harvest. In the past, this was particularly common in times of need, today it is a way to save food from spoilage. Legally, however, the stubble is only allowed if the farmer agrees. Many companies are open to this, some even offer fixed dates for stubble.
It is important: do not tear out plants and do not drive on the field with vehicles so that the floor is not compressed. In order not to annoy the owners of the fruit trees, you shouldn’t bend branches. Otherwise fewer fruits can grow back next year. For the same reason, you shouldn’t shake trees and shrubs.
Har a wild garlic, mirabelles and potatoes for free
The website helps with the search for free harvest sources Mundraub.org. On an interactive card, users can find suitable places for picking and share with other people. The approximately 120,000 users of the common good have collected more than 90,000 entries since 2009. However, before picking, you should check whether it is really legal at the registered area, since the notes are not always reliable.
But when is the right time to pick? In spring you can harvest wild garlic and woodruff in the forests near you. Yield flowers for jelly or syrup can also be found in the city. A large variety of fruits are available in summer: cherries, mirabelles, apricots, mulberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries and currants. If the summer is coming to an end, blackberries, plums, grain cherries and sea buckthorn can be picked. Autumn offers apples, pears, quinces and rose hips. You can also collect nuts such as hazelnut, walnut and chestnut. Winter at least still has sloes for jam and liqueur.
What should you pay attention to with wild foods?
And what about porcini mushrooms and other abandoned plants in the forest? Wild plants such as mushrooms, herbs and berries that are not cultivated may be legally picked on accessible areas – as long as they are small amounts for private use. So you shouldn’t throw away the harvest or resell. Small quantities are as much as it fits between the thumb and index finger according to the so-called “hand bouquet rule”. So pick only as much as you really need. Wild animals such as birds and mice are happy if there is still something left for them.
In general, you cannot use plants in nature reserves or protected species. Endangered plants from the Red List should never be damaged. On trees on streets, you should remove fallen fruit from the road after harvesting and make sure not to hinder traffic.
You should also pay attention to your own health when picking. With mushrooms, it is important to correctly identify the way before collecting. This is the only way to avoid poisoning. The fox tapeworm must also be considered when harvesting in the forest. The parasite spreads out in the intestine of foxes, cats and dogs. For example, their feces can contaminate wild blueberries with the tiny eggs of the tapeworm. If people eat the fruit and eggs, the immune system fights against the intruder. If this does not succeed, the larvae grow up in the body and can damage organs. However, there is also a risk of fruit and vegetables from your own garden.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Homeland therefore generally recommends that to wash with water thoroughly with water, regardless of where you have harvested them. Heating to more than 60 degrees Celsius is even safer. If you want to be safe, you can easily process fruit into jam. You can also puree well -washed fruit and enjoy as a juice or smoothie. If you prefer fruit as a fresh side dish in the muesli, you can make the rest of the fruit durable by freezing.
