My Apple Picker Buddy

Have you ever tried to pick from fruit trees and the best pieces of fruit were just out of reach, and of course you have no ladder.  Well I don't know where I first saw this idea but I thought it would be a great gadget to keep in your vehicle for when you run into a stray apple tree.    The original version was just a 2 lite soda bottle with a handle.     I call it my "Apple Picking Buddy".

I washed out a soda bottle and marked a circle on the side. I cut it out with a pair of scissors.  It's really quite easy as these bottles have very thin sides.

Just below one of the bumps on the bottom of the bottle I cut in a little curve.

Then I found an old butterfly catcher of the kids and attached it to to top of the bottle with a few 1/2" screws.  I had to wrap the handle with a bit of tape to make it fit better.

Now when I go to pick some apples I can just hook the bottle over an apple and pull. The apple falls into the bottle and doesn't drop all the way to the ground.  Result: less bruising.  I outlined the hole with a marker to make it easier to see.

The hole in my bottle is big enough you could use this for picking apples, oranges, pears, peaches.  It just depends what part of the country you are in and what's available.

I was going to cut off the net but after talking to my son yesterday ( he lives on Vancouver Island where there is an abundance of fruit trees) and hearing they have been picking tons of cherries lately, I thought  of leaving on the net and bending the wire a little to accommodate any smaller fruit that will just fall into the net.

These little butterfly nets with bamboo handles are available in  a lot of dollar stores.
The apples should be ready in our area soon, and I need a ton to make apple cider vinegar.  This is going in the trunk of my car right away so I don't get caught without it. Nest time I see an apple tree that needs harvesting my Apple Picker Buddy and I will be prepared.