Autumn Foraging

Keep the Season in a Jar

Put everything else on hold. Adele Nozedar tempts us to get out and discover how autumn is a time to reap the fruits on offer not too far from our doorsteps...

Here in Llanfrynach, in the midst of the Brecon Beacons, I have the most gorgeous view of the hills. At this time of year they’re covered in bracken, no longer green, but shrivelled up and brown. Although some might see bracken as a nuisance, there’s a time when the slanting sunlight causes the drying fronds to lighten, painting the hills a burnished, tawny gold. It’s breathtakingly beautiful. Although this colour tells me that autumn is here and that winter will follow quicker than I think, it’s also a reminder that this is the best season for foraging, and that I need to spend as many of my waking hours as I can gathering a harvest. It’s exactly as my ancestors did for thousands of years: everything else can wait….

This time of year is special. Autumn yields not only delicious fruits, but also nuts AND fungi too. And lurking in many gardens is one of my favourite ingredients, Japanese Quince, aka Chaenomeles japonica. It’s also sometimes called ‘false quince’. This unprepossessing shrub is common, but largely ignored; I recently saw some in Cardiff’s Roath Park. I reckon the word ‘ornamental’ makes us think, quite understandably, that it shouldn’t be eaten, but when cooked, they’re absolutely delicious. Japanese Quince has dark orange / red flowers, followed by hard, knobbly, pale yellow fruits – (which turn a darker colour) attached directly to sprawling branches. Whereas most of us know all about ‘real’ quince, they’re not easy to come by. Traditionally, people use quince to make Membrillo; a sweet, granular paste that originates in Spain and which - it is said - holds the origins of marmalade. Membrillo pairs beautifully with a good Manchego cheese, but I prefer it (and so will you) spread thickly, on hot toast that’s dripping with too much butter.

The recipe here, using fruits foraged in Wales, makes a Membrillo to rival any from Spain. I’m not going to tell you that it’s not a ffaff to make, but if, like me, you like to spend the occasional afternoon messing about in the kitchen whilst listening to Eleri Siôn on BBC Radio Wales, then this is the recipe for you. Not only that, but your entire house will hold the rich scent of autumn.

Japanese Quince Membrillo

• 2kg Japanese quince, ripened to gold • 1 whole vanilla pod • Juice and zest of an unwaxed lemon • White caster sugar (for amount, see method)

Method

First, line a 20cm x 20cm baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Chop and de-pip the quinces, put into a large heavybottomed pan, add the vanilla pod and lemon juice/ zest, then just cover with water. Cover, and cook on a low heat for about an hour or until the fruit is soft.

Remove the vanilla pod, drain and weigh the fruit. Weigh out the same amount of sugar.

Blend the fruit using a stick blender until silky smooth, then add the sugar. Cook again, uncovered, over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cover the pan and cook over a very low heat for 60-90 minutes – the mixture will turn a rich orangey-brown hue. Pour into the tray, or alternatively straight into clean, warm jars, and leave to set.