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).

Blackberry: Fully black (not red or dark red) and comes off the stem with no resistance — zero pull. Dull rather than shiny; a shiny black berry is still slightly underripe and tart. Eat the same day for best flavour.

Wine raspberry: Deep red, sticky, wine-flavoured. Ripe when dark red and separates easily from the stem. Good raw or for making wine and jam.