Now Forage

Black mulberry: Deep purple-black when ripe; intensely flavoured and juicy. Spread a tarp and shake the tree — ripe fruits fall immediately. Stains everything permanently — wear old clothes. Do not pick unripe red berries (mildly hallucinogenic).

Grape: Berries fully coloured and slightly soft. Stem where it joins the bunch turns woody and brown. Seeds easily visible inside. Sweet throughout when fully ripe — taste from different parts of the cluster as they ripen unevenly. Grapes do not continue ripening after harvest.

Orange (Citrus): Fully orange and heavy for its size. Skin yields slightly when squeezed. Fruit will hang on the tree well past colour development without falling — taste-test for sweetness.

Plum: Colour fully develops (purple, red, or yellow by variety) and a waxy bloom appears on the skin. Softens slightly at the tip. Taste-test for sweetness — European plums are better slightly soft; Japanese types can be harvested firmer.

Pomegranate: Skin turns from pale orange to deep red; fruit becomes angular and the blossom end flattens slightly as arils expand. Tap the skin — a ripe pomegranate sounds metallic. Heavy for its size. A slight crack at the shoulder is fine. Do not wait for it to fall.