Autumn gathering

[jw]

I love the autumn season, especially for collecting wild berries, nuts and mushrooms.

A couple of years ago, I asked for snopesters input regarding collecting cépes and bolets and whilst I still haven't successfully found what I'm looking for - I haven't stopped trying.

Anyway, last weekend myself and my wife were out foraging in a forest park and came across what looks like some edible chestnuts.
There is very little tradition of eating roasted chestnuts here and they are scarcely grown anywhere so I've got no one to ask. I've looked them up online and AFAICS, they look like the real thing. Still, I'd like some confirmation, before I go poisoning anyone!
Here.

According to this website, they look like the edible kind.
Also, assuming they are the edible kind, is it just a matter of roasting them as per the instructions here? Is there anything else I can do with them?
I could get loads more of these if I want to.

The countryside here is awash with product right now. So, to fellow northern hemisphere dwellers, what are you collecting and gathering this season?

[Jay Tea]

Those are sweet chestnuts all right. Never been particularly partial to the roast ones on their own, but they make a great stuffing. In fact, chestnuts are the homepage special on BBC food right now - go nuts

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/

[Jay Tea]

There have been a few nice mushies here and there so far this season, and year round the fat-arse pigeons offer and quick and tempting snack now that i'm accurate enough on my slingshot to be humane.

The one thing that really tempts me year in year out is the enormous apple potential around here - so many varieties, so many heavily laden trees, and no bugger even harvests them - all I need is a cider press and a place to make/store the booze and i'd be away. Next year, definitely next year...

[jw]

Thanks for your observations JayTea, I'm having some friends over next weekend and was planning on surprising them, but not poisoning them!

At this time of the year, I've seen them for sale in markets in France and IRC many street sellers roasting them in makeshift tins in Paris and selling them for a euro for about a half dozen. However, nobody here seems to bother with them. I don't know why.

[Jay Tea]

Originally Posted by jw

Thanks for your observations JayTea, I'm having some friends over next weekend and was planning on surprising them, but not poisoning them!

At this time of the year, I've seen them for sale in markets in France and IRC many street sellers roasting them in makeshift tins in Paris and selling them for a euro for about a half dozen. However, nobody here seems to bother with them. I don't know why.

I guess the lack of orchards would be the main reason - Romans brought them to the UK, then Monks propogated their popularity until coppicing and landscaping took the chestnut baton and ran with it to the present day.

[jw]

Originally Posted by Jay Tea

The one thing that really tempts me year in year out is the enormous apple potential around here - so many varieties, so many heavily laden trees, and no bugger even harvests them

Indeed. A neighbour, a few doors up, has pear and apple trees almost falling over with fruit. The fruit is just left rotting on the ground. Even the kids have no interest in stealing 'em!

I've gotten plenty of apples as my brother had a superflous amount this autumn too. Along with the blackberries we harvested a couple of weekends back, I've made enough blackberry and apple jam to last until next year and I've frozen a lot of stewed apple and blackberry for winter use.

Hmmm...I like the idea of a cider press!

[jw]

Not quite gathering from the wild, but at this time of year oranges from Seville in Spain are really cheap and plentiful. Because I've being making and giving away so much jam this year - my friends and relatives keep giving me jars, so I'm figuring on filling them!
Some years ago, I made marmalade from a concentrate, which tasted much the same as store bought jam. I was thinking of making some quirky marmalade this autumn.
I came across this recipe, which looks useful.

Has anyone ever tried making marmalade from scratch? Maybe with some odd ingredients, like ginger?

[Die Capacitrix]

Originally Posted by jw

Has anyone ever tried making marmalade from scratch? Maybe with some odd ingredients, like ginger?

I made marmalade last year. I thought with years of jelly/jam making behind me, it would be easy. It is and it isn't.

The slices must be very narrow, if they are very long. When I do it again, I would cut them the same breadth (wider than they should be, but acceptable width to me), and then would cut them shorter.

The directions said to cook for a really long time, as compared to jelly/jam. I listened to my parents, who had never made marmalade, and didn't cook it according as long as I should have. The results were pretty, but didn't quite have the thickness I prefer.

I used blood oranges, which results in a vibrantly colored marmalade, but they try to stain everything in their path. Wear old clothes and an apron.

I think this was part of the inspiration for what I did. That said, the marmalade which I grew up with in the U.S. is much sweeter than the U.K. marmalades which I have tried so far. Which is the main reason that I made my own.

[jw]

Originally Posted by Die Capacitrix

I made marmalade last year. I thought with years of jelly/jam making behind me, it would be easy. It is and it isn't.

Many thanks for your advice. It seems that I've got to get some muslin cloth before I can start. I'll watch out for the stains!