How do you tell when fruits ready to eat?

[DominicJ]

I've planted a load (well about 15 plants) of fruit in my garden, but after dealing with the problem of having no idea how to plant stuff, no idea how much to water and feed, I've reached the problem of having no idea when the fruits ready.

My blueberry bush seems to have collapsed on itself so I have no great hopes for them this year, but I seem to have about 20 black currants and maybe 10 red currants growing happily.
The black currants started out green and are now kind of a deep red going to purple, the red currants are still green.

Should they just be left till they look like they do in T***o?

[Clara]

IME supermarket is usually underipe, so wait til they look like they do in T***O and then wait a few more days, they should be soft and sweet (for my preference).

[marshlander]

IME supermarket is usually underipe, so wait til they look like they do in T***O and then wait a few more days, they should be soft and sweet (for my preference).

The birds will know when this moment is!

[Clara]

IME supermarket is usually underipe, so wait til they look like they do in T***O and then wait a few more days, they should be soft and sweet (for my preference).

The birds will know when this moment is!

Ain´t that the truth! I was given a blackcurrant cutting a few months ago, it bore one berry, I´ve been waiting and waiting and damn it it´s disappeared today.....oh well, next year!

On the positive side, a few CDs have kept the birds out of my entire 25ft cherry tree so we haven´t lost god knows how many kilos of cherries in one morning, like last year. You live, you learn.

[Thomzo]

Well with currants, the clue is in the name. Black currants should be, well, black. Red currents, red (but you probably guessed that )

For gooseberries, wait until they are softish and squeezable. Some go red so it helps if you know which variety you have.

Strawberries, I wait until they are pale pink all over then pick em and ripen them up in the conservatory out of the reach of birds and slugs.

Raspberries - again wait until they are dark red all over (unless they are the pale variety).

With black mulberries don't even bother to pick them unless they are completely black all over.

If in doubt pick one and try it.

Happy trying
Zoe

[DominicJ]

So I wont like die from under ripe fruit?
You must realise I'm a townie, who thinks every thing is chicken

[Clara]

So I wont like die from under ripe fruit?
You must realise I'm a townie, who thinks every thing is chicken

Ah bless! No you won´t die (I don´t think ) just not have the exquisite money-cannot-buy taste sensation of pefectly ripe fruit fresh off the plant (and all the goodness that comes with it).

[Thomzo]

No you won't die. Certainly not from one slightly under-ripe currant. If you were to eat a whole bowl full you might get a bit of an upset stomach. But you wouldn't eat a whole bowlfull as they'd taste yuk.

Oh and don't be afraid to ask the opinions of friends and neighbours. Great way to get to know people. You don't necessarily have to take their advice.

Happy eating
Zoe

[Rod in Japan]

> No you won't die. Certainly not from one slightly under-ripe currant.

Anybody watching you might die laughing though when you spit "Peh! Peh-peh-peh! Blurrrg!", hang your tongue out of your mouth, and try to scrape that shocking sour taste off it.

I have blackberries, and 1 in 4 of them are pretty disgusting, either under-ripe or over-ripe.

[Thomzo]

The birds will know when this moment is!

Good point, Marshlander. Just hang some white washing on the line. You'll soon know when the black fruit are ready.

Zoe

[Brij]

Yeah, just eat them when they taste good to you... I tend to go for slightly under-ripe fruit sometimes and slightly over-ripe fruits other times, but if it doesn't taste sour, you're fine. The same goes for if there are any mouldy bits... just cut them off, the rest of the fruit's fine (this works for jam and cheese, too, amongst other things). If there's more fruit than you can eat before it goes off, maybe consider wine making? Or just freeze them, then you can still eat them with ice cream, or make puddings from them?

Ooo I love fruit!