Enjoy autumn in all its glory

Autumn is a beautiful time of year – I love how the air gets crisp, the colours changing on my walks through the countryside but also how our eating and cooking habits change and the kitchen transforms into a haven of warmth and comfort.

From light salads to more robust soups and roasts, the abundance we experience with cabbage, apples, carrots and the first leeks coming out, the gastro cells in a cook’s brain run riot.

Wild mushrooms, foraged from shadowy woods, bring a touch of earthiness to creamy risottos and soups with their umami flavours. Butternut squash and pumpkins lend a subtle sweetness to soups, gratins, and hearty bakes.

And let’s not forget Irish apples, ripening in orchards across the country, offer a perfect balance of tart and sweet for spiced crumbles or cider-braised pork.

Soups become a staple as the weather turns cooler, with bowls of leek and potato, roasted pumpkin, or creamy parsnip providing comfort and nourishment, hugging you from within. Paired with thick slices of brown soda bread, slathered with Irish butter (what else?), they are a reminder of the power of simplicity and tradition.

The abundance of autumn produce—apples, pears, pumpkins, root vegetables, and more—also presents the perfect opportunity to create homemade preserves, pickles, and chutneys. Mr T and I are known to enjoy the occasional cheese board with freshly baked bread and homemade chutneys.

Apples and blackberries make a delightful spiced jam, with cinnamon and cloves adding a warm, aromatic touch. Pears can be poached in honey and infused with star anise before sealing in sterilised jars, waiting to be turned into a luxurious, syrupy treat perfect for winter desserts. And chutneys made with apples, onions, and ginger provide a versatile companion for cheeses and roasted meats.

If making your own chutneys or jams feels like too much effort (and let’s face it, who hasn’t stared down a mountain of apples and reconsidered their life choices?), skip the factory-made jars gathering dust on supermarket shelves.

Instead, reach for locally made preserves. Not only do they taste like a hug from your granny, but you’ll also be helping a small family keep their jam-making dreams alive. Plus, your money stays in the community—where it’s much more likely to fuel local gossip over tea than vanish into a corporate abyss.

Why not round up your besties and take over the kitchen for a jam and chutney-making extravaganza? With everyone pitching in, the workload shrinks to almost nothing, leaving more time to sip on a glass (or three) of prosecco and swap the latest stories.

Picture it: laughter bouncing off the walls, jars clinking, and the sweet, tangy scent of bubbling fruit filling the air. By the end, you’ll not only have a stash of delicious preserves but also a batch of new memories to savour—and possibly some slightly sticky countertops to clean up.

Enjoy autumn in all its glory.