Now Forage

Apple (Malus): Background skin colour shifts from green toward yellow; seeds turn brown when ripe. Fruit separates from the spur with a gentle upward twist. Aroma develops near the base. Wild Malus fruit is often small and tart — excellent for cider and jelly.

Chestnut: Spiny green burs split open to reveal 2–3 shiny brown chestnuts. Gather from the ground after they fall. Must be cooked (roasted, boiled, or ground into flour) — toxic raw in large quantities. Peel the papery inner skin after cooking.

Currant: Red: translucent, jewel-like clusters. White: pale cream. Both are ripe when fully coloured and hang as a bunch. Tart and high in pectin — best for jelly and summer pudding. Harvest the whole strig.

Pear: Unlike apples, pears ripen from the inside out. Harvest when the skin colour lightens and the fruit separates with a gentle upward twist. Ripen off the tree at room temperature — leave on a counter until the neck yields to thumb pressure.