Now Forage

Almond: The green outer hull splits and pulls back, revealing the hard shell. Harvest when at least 75% of hulls have split. Spread in sun to dry for 1–2 weeks, turning daily, until kernels rattle inside. Eat immediately or store in shells.

Black walnut: Harvest when the green husk turns yellow-green and the nut falls naturally or can be shaken loose. Wear gloves — the husk stains permanently. Remove husk immediately, then cure nuts in a cool, airy place for 2–3 weeks before cracking. Intensely flavoured.

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.

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.

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.

Lavender: Harvest flower spikes when about half the flowers on the spike have opened — maximum oil content. Cut stems long, in the morning. Dry in small bunches upside down in a warm, airy space. Use in baking, tea, and herbal remedies.

Mirabelle plum: Small golden-yellow plums with a reddish blush when ripe. Very sweet and aromatic. Ripen from late July; fall freely when ready. Pick as soon as they soften — they ferment quickly on the branch.

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.

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.

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.

Tomato: Uniformly coloured (red, orange, yellow, or purple by variety) with slight give when squeezed. A ripe tomato separates easily from the vine. Fully coloured fruit stored at room temperature — never refrigerate.