Now Forage

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.

Mint: Harvest leaves just before flowering for peak flavour. Cut stems back by a third regularly to encourage bushy growth. Flavour declines after flowering — cut flower spikes off to extend harvest.

Rose: Rose hips (swollen seed pods) ripen to red or orange after flowering. Pick when fully coloured and slightly soft. Remove the seeds and hairs inside (irritating). Very high in vitamin C; excellent for syrup, tea, and jelly. Leave some for birds in winter.

Rugosa rose: Very large, deep red hips — best of all roses for food. Ripe when deep red and slightly soft. Sweet and very high in vitamin C. Slice off top and bottom, remove seeds before using.

Tomato: Uniformly coloured (red, orange, yellow, or purple by variety) with slight give when squeezed. A ripe tomato separates easily from the vine. Fully coloured fruit stored at room temperature — never refrigerate.