Now Forage

Apple: Background colour changes from green to yellow or cream (variety determines final colour). Seeds inside should be brown. Flesh yields slightly to thumb pressure. A ripe apple releases with a gentle upward twist — no pulling. Check the ground for natural drops.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Rosemary: Evergreen herb — harvest sprigs year-round. Young, bright green shoot tips have the most flavour. Harvest in the morning after dew dries. Flowers (blue-purple) appear spring through early summer and are edible as a garnish.