Scientist makes cider from 'feral' apples collected along country roads

Sydney scientist collects wild roadside apples to produce ciderBy Eliza BerlageABC RuralTopic:Human Interest3m ago3 minutes agoSun 15 Feb 2026 at 10:00pmLucien Alperstein loads crates of apples into the back of a van. (Supplied: Nick Bannehr)In short:Lucien Alperstein has spent the past decade picking feral apples from trees along country back roads and turning them into cider. He says his "guerilla" activity has inspired his curiosity in the science of genetics and fermentation. What's next?Mr Alperstein does not know what the future holds for his project, but his passion for roadside picking will continue to drive his travel plans.abc.net.au/news/roadside-apple-cider-made-from-feral-apples-by-scientist/106321000Link copiedShareShare articleLucien Alperstein remembers filling the boot of his parents' Toyota sedan the first time he went wild apple picking.Those wild apples were destined for drinking rather than eating.The scientist, a PhD candidate at UNSW with research focused on testing probiotics for use in aquaculture, said his cider-making side hustle was sparked by rumours of feral fruit trees on country back roads, which came to fruition."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 said."So one autumn, I just went for a drive with a friend about an hour and a half outside of Sydney and there were just apples everywhere."Then when we got home, we just put some boxes out, opened the boot and they all rolled out and bounced around."Lucien Alperstein says he and his friends find safe places to pick away from busier roads. (Supplied: Nick Bannehr)From the Southern Highlands of New South Wales to South Australia's Adelaide Hills, Mr Alperstein said he had been amazed by the variability of roadside produce due to the chaotic nature of seed dispersal.Strolling along a 1 kilometre stretch, he can encounter as many as 30 different trees — plums, peaches, nectarines, pears, crabapples, quinces, and many types of apples."Some of them are beautiful, like really rich, very aromatic, sweet, [and] juicy," he said."There's ones that have very little flavour, a lot of tannin, and only grow to the size of golf balls.Lucien Alperstein has been amazed by the variability of roadside produce due to the chaotic nature of seed dispersal. (Supplied: Nick Bannehr)"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."Mr Alperstein said the diversity was due to how wild apples grew from seed, instead of being grafted from rootstock like commercial apples."Every single apple seed in an apple is a completely different species," he said."Some of them have fantastic eating apples and are potentially a resource for finding new varieties of apples."Washing the apples before making cider. (Supplied: Nick Bannehr)From roadside to ciderMore than a decade after that first harvest, Mr Alperstein has upgraded from family sedan to trailer and van.He has also graduated from making cider in backyard batches to collaborating with Marrickville brewery Wildflower on his Road Cider project.Lucien Alperstein has been making his cider with Wildflower Brewing since 2018. He has sold bottles and cases to friends, families and strangers, but said wild fruit meant unreliable supply."Apples tend towards only fruiting every second year," he said."If they're not pruned, because 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 make any fruit at all."To make good cider, Mr Alperstein said the apples needed to be picked at peak ripeness or left to mature in crates.They are then crushed, put through a press to squeeze the juice out, and then wild fermented.Wild cider making in progress. (Supplied: Nick Bannehr)"We actually just rely on the wild yeasts that live on the apples themselves," he said."You can also add yeast at that point, but it's not necessary."Apples are not the only fruit that goes in the mix.Mr Alperstein said he would throw in pears if he found them and had even brewed a standalone pear cider."And there's a fruit called a sorbus — they just provide a little bit of extra intrigue," he said."But for me, a handful of quince can give this really aromatic delicious bouquet."Lucien Alperstein says the traditional-style cider has a drier mouthfeel compared to commercial sweet cider. (Supplied: Nick Bannehr)Mapping wild fruit treesMr Alperstein is not alone in his obsession."I've encountered a handful of people who are also out there, either just to pick a few to make an apple sauce or juice a few apples themselves or just have a little snack while they're driving," he said.The website Roadside Fruit Trees describes the trees as an "enormou