Now Forage

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.

Sweet chestnut: European chestnuts: burs split on the tree in September–October. Collect from the ground daily. Cook before eating — roast, boil, or dry and grind. Score the flat side before roasting to prevent explosion.