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.

Blackcurrant: Fully black, glossy berries hanging in strigs. Ripe when all berries on the strig are black. Tart but intensely flavoured — leave a few extra days for sweetness. Best for juice, jam, and cordial.

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.

Gooseberry: Unripe: small, hard, very tart (good for cooking). Ripe: translucent, slightly soft, and sweet — variety colour is red, yellow, or green. Ripe gooseberries come off the stalk easily and have a sweet aroma.

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.