Now Forage

Common grape: Fully coloured and separates easily from the stem. Taste is the best guide — sweet with little tartness. Harvest the whole bunch at once.

Loquat: Clusters of orange-yellow fruit; ripe when fully orange with no green, yields to gentle pressure, and comes off the stem with a slight tug. Very sweet and aromatic when right — mealy if overripe. Short shelf life after picking.

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.

Papaya: Skin turns from green to yellow-orange starting at the base. Yields to gentle pressure. Sweet, floral aroma develops. Green papaya is eaten as a vegetable (unripe). Ripe fruit has orange flesh and black seeds inside.