Now Forage

Common fig: Two crops: breba (June–July on old wood) and main (Aug–Oct). Ripe figs hang downward, skin may crack, feel very soft, and often show a drop of nectar at the eye. Colour depends on variety (green, brown, purple). A milky sap at the stem means underripe.

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.

Mulberry: Ripe when fully coloured (white, red, or black by species) and falls at a touch. Spread a sheet and shake the branches. Extremely perishable — process or eat immediately.

Olive: Harvest time depends on intended use: green olives (October, firm, very bitter — require curing); turning olives (November, red-purple, half-ripe — for oil or eating); black olives (December, fully ripe, shrivelling — sweeter, for oil). All must be cured before eating — never eat straight from the tree.

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.

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.

Quince: Yellow, fragrant, and very hard when ripe — not soft like apples. Look for a deep golden-yellow colour and a strong quince aroma. Inedible raw (very astringent); excellent for jam, paste, and jelly after cooking.