Half of the fruit that grows in yards and public spaces is never picked or eaten. Citrus trees are burdened with misshapen lemons, berries grow in tangled thickets on the roadside, and the crooked rows of abandoned orchards fill with fallen apples. At the same time, people yearn for an emotional connection that’s lacking in bland grocery store bananas and tasteless melons.

The Fruit Forager’s Companion is a how-to guide with nearly 100 recipes devoted to the secret, sweet bounty just outside our front doors and ripe for the taking, from familiar apples and oranges to lesser-known pawpaws and mayhaws. Seasoned chef, gardener, and forager Sara Bir primes readers on foraging basics, demonstrates gathering and preservation techniques, and presents a suite of recipes, including habanero crabapple jelly, lime pickle, pawpaw lemon curd, and fermented cranberry relish.