So, you’ve decided to go on a soft fruit adventure. Excellent choice. There’s something wonderfully satisfying about wandering down a row of bushes in the Dutch sun, basket in hand. Soft fruits—think raspberries, blackberries, red currants, and those plump little blueberries—are the divas of the picking world. Most are in season from late May (strawberries) through July (currants, blueberries, raspberries) to September (blackberries). They demand a gentle touch. No yanking, no tug-of-war. You’ll want to cup each berry like it’s a tiny, precious jewel and give it the lightest of twists. If it’s ready, it will practically fall into your hand with a soft plop. If it resists? Leave it. That one needs another day of Dutch sunshine: raspberries and blackberries do not ripen after picking. Currants are easiest to pick as whole clusters, snipped off with small scissors. Pick in the early morning if you can, when the berries are coolest and firmest, and use shallow containers so the fragile ones don’t get crushed.

This is prime family-and-friends territory. The kids will eat half of what they pick (you knew that), and the adults will turn it into a gentle competition—“My basket is fuller than yours!"—before realizing you’ve all been standing in the same spot for twenty minutes, mesmerized by a particularly perfect raspberry bush. Tip: wear clothes you don’t mind getting stained. Red currant juice has a way of becoming a permanent souvenir.

Once you’re home, it’s time to put the haul to good use. Keep them unwashed in the fridge and rinse them just before use: raspberries and blackberries last a day or two, blueberries up to a week.

How to use them at home

  • On everything. Soft fruits are a lazy cook’s best friend. Toss them into yogurt, oatmeal, or pancakes. Pile them on toast with cream cheese. Stick a bowl of mixed berries on the table for breakfast and watch them vanish.
  • Freeze them. Lay them out on a tray (not touching) for a few hours, then bag them up. Frozen berries are perfect for smoothies, pies, or emergency crumbles six months from now.
  • Make jam. Equal parts fruit and sugar (by weight), a squeeze of lemon, and a low bubble for thirty minutes. Pour into jars.

And since we’re talking soft fruits, here are two recipes that practically shout “summer”:

Recipe 1: The Forgotten Summer Crumble

This is the dessert that asks for nothing in return.

Ingredients:

  • 500g mixed soft fruits (raspberries, blackberries, currants—whatever you picked)
  • 100g caster sugar (or less if your berries are sweet)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 200g plain flour
  • 100g cold butter, cubed
  • 75g rolled oats
  • 75g brown sugar
  • A pinch of salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Toss the fruits with caster sugar and lemon juice in a baking dish. In a bowl, rub the butter into the flour until it looks like lumpy sand. Stir in the oats, brown sugar, and salt. Scatter the topping evenly over the fruit—don’t press it down. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the juices bubble and the top is golden. Serve with cold cream or vanilla ice cream. Eat it warm.

Recipe 2: Berry & Lemon Posset

This is magic: cream, sugar, lemon, and berries. That’s it. No oven, no fuss.

Ingredients:

  • 250ml double cream
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 150g fresh soft fruits (halved if large)
  • A few mint leaves (optional)

Method:
Gently warm the cream and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Don’t boil. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. The mixture will thicken slightly almost instantly. Pour into small glasses or ramekins and leave to cool. Once cool, spoon the fresh berries on top, tuck in a mint leaf, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The result is a silky, tangy, berry-topped cloud of a dessert.