Enjoy! Here in Zoetermeer you score free fruit and nuts

Groceries expensive? Count on it! But luckily you can also score free fruit and nuts in Zoetermeer. Many nuts and fruits grow in the wild, such as elderberries, sweet chestnuts, blackberries and hazelnuts. So go pick yourself! But what are the best places in Zoetermeer?

The Wildplukwijzer has the answer. It is a handy site that maps all public fruit trees and shrubs, nut trees and stray cucumber plants around the corner from you and the rest of the Netherlands.

Elderberry and blackberries

A quick lap over the map of the Wildplukwijzer, and we see that blackberries and elderberries can be found in Zoetermeer. Make a delicious jam, or eat them as is! You also score free hazelnuts and walnuts that you can roast, for example. In the Binnenpark you will even find St. John’s wort and comfrey. Enough to pick and collect, so.

The rules of foraging

Can you actually just pick wild? Yes that is allowed. But in moderation, for blackberries and mushrooms the starting point is 250 grams. Wild picking is only allowed in the Netherlands for personal use. So it is not the intention that you take home whole buckets full or that you sell your harvest. Also check whether an area is freely accessible. In some places, the owner, such as Staatsbosbeheer, has set a picking restriction.