Now Forage

Black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis): Deep purple-black; pulls free from the hollow centre. Strongly flavoured. Picks over about two weeks — check every couple of days.

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.

Blueberry: Deep blue-purple with a silvery bloom; stem scar (not stem) at the top. Taste is the best test — a truly ripe blueberry is sweet and has no pink flesh inside. Let the cluster go fully blue before picking the whole thing.