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.

Black raspberry: Deep purple-black, duller than blackberries. Separates from the hollow core like a red raspberry. Richer, more intense flavour than red raspberry. Short season — harvest daily.

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.

Cattail: Multiple edible parts across the season: young shoots (spring), green flower spikes (May–June, boil like corn), yellow pollen (June–July, shake into a bag), and starchy root (year-round). Green spikes are ripe when fully formed but still bright green.

Cherry: Deep red and glossy; stem pulls cleanly. Taste is the best test — sweet and juicy when ripe, still astringent if picked too early.

Crabapple: Small apples ripen from green to red, yellow, or orange by variety. Very tart raw but excellent for jelly and cider. Ripe when the colour is fully developed and the fruit lifts off with a gentle twist.

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.

Raspberry: Deep red (or gold/yellow for golden varieties) and slides off the receptacle — the hollow centre is the tell. Does not pull: a ripe raspberry separates at a touch. Extremely fragile; use within hours of picking.