- 1). Leave the berries on the plant until late summer.
- 2). Examine the plants, looking for clusters of deep red or purplish berries. Some clusters may be ready before others.
- 3). Squeeze a berry. Ripe berries will feel dry and firm yet springy. Unripe berries will feel hard, while overripe berries will feel too soft.
- 4). Taste one berry. When eaten, berries should have a bright, lemon-like tartness. Unripe berries will taste bitter.
- 5). Leave unripe clusters of berries on the plant to continue ripening. Berries will continue to ripen through autumn.
- 6). Cut berry clusters for use before the rainy season. Excessive rainfall on ripening berries will dilute their flavor.
- 7). Place the berries in sealed paper bags and leave them at room temperature to ripen for a day or two.
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