October has arrived with a distinct drop in temperature at night but hopefully with some brighter days in which I’m planning to get the garden cut back and tidied up for winter. And hopefully plant some daffodils, tulips and broad bean seeds.

So what’s in season in October? It is the month for the Autumn harvest and here just outside County Armagh, the Bramley Apple harvest continues for usually the whole month of October. The orchard comes alive again in Sping time with the blossom appearing any time from April to the middle of May and next year I am looking  forward to Spring tours in the orchard in which you can see the blossom for yourself and then over to the cookery school for a hands-on baking class.

Read more about our Orchard Tour here.

Pears are also ready for picking and there are still plums in the hedges.

Look out for quince which make superb jelly. The Elderberries are fast coming to an end and are great for making a linctus or a syrup for when you feel under the weather. Rosehips too !

Towards the end of the month the pumpkins will appear and I love using pumpkins and squash in a variety of recipes from a warming soup to a vegetarian curry, not to mention  Pumpkin Pie. Look out for nice varieties such as the Crown Prince which has a blue-grey skin and deep orange flesh. I wouldn’t cook with the large Halloween lantern-style pumpkins usually.

For more inspiration you can find lots of seasonal recipes on our recipe page here.