Well, autumn is finally here! That means winter is
coming next and as many people often say, “sher lads, we won’t feel Christmas
now.” Autumn is the time where the leaves on the trees start to change colour,
the breeze gets colder and stronger and food becomes heartier and more
comforting. This is when people start to wander the country roads and fields to
forage for nuts, berries and other autumnal treats. This particular image takes
me back to my childhood when I used to pick wild gooseberries and more
carefully, blackberries. A happy time it was!
Traditionally this was the time
where the art of preserving really came into action, but with the advent of the
supermarket and the lack of its necessity for sustenance, preservation has
unfortunately fallen out of favour with the masses. This is a great shame as
preserving is such an enjoyable and rewarding activity and there is nothing
like the anticipation for say a ripened blackberry jam or a fruit liqueur. It
really makes you feel like a kid again and in this fast-moving world there is
certainly nothing wrong with that.
Here, I am providing you with a list of what’s
in season in autumn. These are foods that are best now and in the coming few
months, berries will be at their sweetest and vegetables will be at their most
flavoursome. Keep your eyes open for the foods mentioned below, both in the
wild and in your local supermarket, your taste buds will truly thank you!
Fruit
Apples
Blueberries
Blackberries
Plums
Cranberries
Quince
Nectarines
Elderberries
Sloes
Figs
Pears
Raspberries
Gooseberries
Chestnuts
Hazelnuts
Vegetables
Aubergine
Butternut Squash
Leek
Swede
Carrots
Celeriac
Celery
Pumpkin
Courgette
Mushrooms (wild)
Brussels Sprouts
Fennell
Parsnips
Cabbages
Radishes
Rocket
Potatoes
Onions
Turnips
Beetroot
Meat
Venison
Game Birds
Fish
Pollack
Haddock
Whiting
Mackerel
Coley
Sea Bass
