Today Head Chef at Colwall Park Hotel shares his foraging tips and a simple hawthorn berry jelly recipe. Don't forget you can win a 1 night stay for 2 (including dinner and breakfast) at the hotel if you select our Seasonal Package for the magazine crowdfunding campaign (which has already reached its first target!). You'll also receive a recycled check blanket, organic apple and cinnamon tea, organic dark chocolate, and a copy of the magazine (but be quick - the campaign ends on Wednesday 6th!).

Foraging is exciting and very rewarding but can be very dangerous if done without doing your research. I am still a novice but find information through books and websites like foragedfoods.co.uk.

There is great produce to be found and don’t forget it’s free!

During the coming months I will be looking for produce in the local fields, hedgerows and not forgetting the Malvern Hills, bring the bounty back to Colwall adding some culinary twists and creating some flavoursome dishes.

As the nights are shorter nature’s larder becomes less bountiful but there is produce out there.

Hawthorn Berries

Hawthorn berries are best picked when they are most ripe, which usually means any time from now until the beginning of November. Hawthorns are dense and, unsurprisingly, thorny. The berries are red and fairly similar to rosehips in appearance. Foraging the berries can be time consuming as they often bring with them lots of stem when picked which need to be removed; however, the rewards can be delectable.

Simple Hawthorn Berry Jelly

• Pick 700g of hawthorn berries.
• Remove the stalks and wash, then drain.
• Put the berries into a saucepan, cover with 850ml of water.
• Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour then mash up the berries.
• Strain the mixture overnight using a muslin cloth - this will keep the jelly clear, but do not squeeze just let the juice drip.
• For every 550ml of juice you measure out you will need 450g of sugar.
• Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon.
• Mix the sugar and lemon juice into a saucepan along with the hawthorn juice. Bring the mixture to the boil, stirring continuously until the sugar has dissolved.
• Now rapid boil for 10 minutes until the jelly has reached setting point. The setting point is normally around 105 degrees, you can carefully spoon a little mix onto a cool plate, leave for a moment then push with your finger to see if it crinkles or is set.
• Skim off any foam from the top of the liquid, and pour into sterilised, warm jars and screw on the lids.

Tip: This jelly goes great with cheese!

We’re approaching the time of year when, for centuries, farmers have harvested crops before the weather turns. At the end of summer we celebrate the abundance and the safe gathering-in of foodstuffs for both people and animals. Produce is stored ready to be used during the lean months; we make preserves in the form of chutney and jam. Fruits, herbs and vegetables are dried, canned and pickled. Meat and fish are smoked and cured.

In these modern times few of us are truly self-sufficient or even approaching that. We have neither the means (outdoor space) nor the time to grow, tend, harvest, preserve and store. Few of us have a cellar, larder or pantry where we can keep large amounts of food. And there is little need. The vast majority of us live in, or near, towns and cities with ready access to supermarkets and independent food shops.

And yet there’s something about gathering in which appeals. It could be a bit of light foraging, a dabble in jam-making. Because opportunities for this type of resourceful pursuit present themselves throughout the year. Seville oranges make a brief appearance during January and February, so a rainy afternoon marmalade-making session is the best way to take advantage of their fleeting season. Early summer brings elderflowers – and bottling the syrup means we can enjoy a taste of summer months after the leaves have fallen.

So, what’s the appeal? Perhaps it’s part of the modern-day yearning to get back to simpler ways of living. Of being closer to nature and returning to living in accordance with the seasons. An almost primal desire to slow down, retract from the myriad of food choices we’re presented with all year round. Strawberries in December, green beans flown in from across the globe. It’s as though all these things have become workaday, no longer special.

Walking past that patch of blackberries every weekend, stopping to check whether they’re ripening. To consider how much sunshine they’re getting. Estimating when they might be ready to pick. Thinking utilising them in various cakes and pies and crumbles and planning to keep a few empty jars aside. This makes food exciting: the anticipation, the rarity value. The we-only-get-this-once-a-year feeling.

The actual gathering-in fulfils some deep instinctive need, too. The knowledge that you’ve collected what you need and in good time. You haven’t missed your chance. It’s similar to getting the washing in off the line just as the rain starts to fall. A sense of achievement, no matter how tiny.

I love to read about how people live seasonally and harvest and preserve. There’s something comforting about the whole idea of late summer and early autumn gathering-in. It’s beautifully described in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, where pumpkins, nuts and cheeses were kept in the attic and neighbours would swap produce with one another and celebrate the seasons.

Over the next few months we’ll have some wonderful seasonal foods to go out and find: damsons, brambles, crab apples, the final wild strawberries and raspberries, elderberries, hazels and sloes. And for the more knowledgeable forager: fungi (wildfooduk.com has a great list of edible mushrooms, but always take an expert along with you).

Gathering in isn’t just about food. There are seeds to be collected from the garden and kept in readiness for planting and propagating. In late summer and early autumn I cut dried allium heads, honesty, teasels and hydrangeas to display in the house. Sunflowers too; I almost prefer them when their heads are full of dark seeds and the petals dried and papery.

So go ahead and pick, harvest, collect. Whether it’s a bilberry-picking trip on the moors or simply filling a paper bag with foxglove or poppy seeds, there are few things more simple – and satisfying – than gathering what’s ripe and making good use of it.

September is the fruitful month. Full of almost-full-size squashes, apples picked straight from the tree, hearty homemade pies and soups galore, it marks a change in what we eat as the new season begins. The salads of summer are not completely gone, but sausages and roasted vegetables are much more likely to appear than salads and barbecues for dinner, and although they take longer to cook, the rewards are always worth the extra time.

This month also showcases the best of the hedgerow. In place of the elderflowers arrive the elderberries, ripe for turning into a fruity wine. Or why not try your hand at jam making if there are blackberries still lingering between the branches?

Leeks are also making an appearance this month, and are delicious in a vegetable gratin: lightly fry, then add to a dish with part-boiled potatoes and smother with a cheese sauce, remembering to top with breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds before heating through in the oven. Finish with a plum crumble, and you’ve got seasonal autumn dining at its best.

September is all about... harvests, back to school, the return of porridge for breakfast, collecting pine cones, apples with everything, leaves turning colour, blackberries and crisp early mornings.

Something to eat: I've posted a recipe for rhubarb pudding before, but why not try a seasonal variation and bake a blackberry and apple pudding? Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and you will taste the new season with every spoonful.

Something to visit: Make the most of the British countryside and explore somewhere new for free from the 11th to the 14th of September. Heritage Open Days offer the chance to visit manor houses, churches, museums and more all over the country. If you're in Lincolnshire try the National Trust's Belton House or the medieval Gainsborough Old Hall.

Something to make: Pompoms! Make as part of a new world record attempt at The Handmade Fair taking place at Hampton Court Palace. You could also try your hand at food decoration, paper craft, yarning and upcycling. If you can't make it (like me), why not try an autumn wreath to hang on your front door instead? Check back later in the month for a tutorial.

Something to celebrate: The Autumn Equinox. Rejoice in the knowledge that we've made it through three-quarters of the year by visiting Stonehenge on the 22nd/23rd to see the sunrise above the stones. At this moment the day and night are equal in length and winter nights lie ahead bringing with them a loss of the early autumn heat that lingered as a memory of summer. If you can't make it to Wiltshire, follow tradition by drinking dandelion and burdock to cleanse the blood or have a second harvest celebration as the last of the crops are stored away.

Something to take part in: If you're no queen of preserves (that title goes to Pam Corbin), then learn how to make the most of the harvest month and take a course. The clever folk at River Cottage have come up with an online preserving course for those of us too busy to travel around, and at £20 it's much more affordable than a full day course. Clean your cupboards and they'll soon be full of jams, jellies and chutneys.

Something a bit different: Pack a picnic and a jumper and blow away the cobwebs with a visit to the beach. Who says that sea and sand have to remain summer's domain? If you go between the 19th and 22nd of the month then you could also do your bit for the environment by taking part in the Great British Beach Clean; find out more here.

November is the month for eating game in our household. Pheasant, partridge, rabbit; you name it and we'll stick in in a stew or pie and devour it with a mountain of buttery mash and a side of curly kale. The leftovers of October are still lingering at the bottom of our veg boxes, so squashes and root vegetables still star, but taking centre stage throughout the month is without a doubt the meat, and by far the best way to enjoy it (in my humble opinion) is to slow cook.

Returning home to a cold house at the end of a long day toiling at work is always vastly improved when wafting through the front door is the smell of a pheasant casserole. Why not try Jamie's recipe here for a full on blast of autumnal flavour - it even includes chestnut dumplings.

As the cold air blows into our lungs and through the nooks and crannies of our house, we know it's time to start ordering a veg box again as the garden no longer produces enough to sustain our hunger throughout the week. As November appears, we also make it a priority to order some venison alongside the veg box. A lean meat, venison can be somewhat dry if you don't cook it right, so stewing it is a great way of preserving its flavour and rich texture. However, it's just as good in burger form. Try this recipe or head over here to order them ready-made to enjoy with homemade wedges and ketchup.

Meat aside, there are many other gastronomic delights to be had and recipes to try out over the month, including this kale and mushroom lasagne - perfect for a family dinner. If you're after something sweet it's still prime time for apples, so why not try an apple pie?

What will be on your plate this month?

Hanging a wreath to welcome visitors is such an easy way to bring nature into the home; it acts as a reminder, too, of the seasonal changes as we hurtle head first through yet another year. Creating an autumn wreath has long been top of my to do list, and last week, as the morning of Halloween dawned and copper and claret leaves fluttered around the garden, I decided I would put it off no longer. I spent a happy half hour searching for materials, and although I had been planning to create the wreath inside, it was so warm I remained in the garden, making the whole process seem even more peaceful and gratifying.

I started, then, by searching through the garden for branches and berries to use, and managed to find an interesting mix of hedgerow clippings and herb patch discoveries (rosemary proved a particularly useful filler, and smells delectable). I then picked a couple of pieces of holly and added conifer foliage for a brighter green colour to lighten the overall effect.

For the base I used a willow wreath that I bought from a local shop last year (see here for similar), but you could use a wire one if you prefer.

Wicker wreaths are so easy to work with, so in the end I used no string or method to attach everything together other than sliding in the stems and branches between the wicker. I began with the foliage and longer stems before adding the holly and berries at the end.

It really was as simple as that! What do you think of the finished wreath?

What I love is that I can remove and add foliage and berries as the month progresses and nature begins to adapt to the fall of the year. I'll be using the same base for my Christmas wreath too, but adapting the style and colours to fit the festive season.

Do any of you display wreaths throughout the year?

Hearing the crunch of crisp autumnal leaves under your wellies as you stomp through the countryside has got to be one of life's greatest simple pleasures. The russet and honeyed hues of nature can lift even the gloomiest of skies, but last weekend we were lucky enough to choose a day to revel in these seasonal joys when the sun sat still all day long, and warmed us through our many layers of clothing.

Nestled in the heart of Lincolnshire on the edge of the picturesque Wolds is a small wood where you can crunch leaves and wander beneath the vast canopy of trees to your heart's content. Usually a spot heralding the start of a biking route, Willingham Woods is actually a small slice of countryside where you can escape and explore all year round, though it holds a particular ethereal beauty during the autumn months. You can also take the opportunity (as we did) for an al-fresco hot chocolate still piping hot from the flask and somehow more enjoyable because it is consumed outside.

The rolling fields of the Wolds stretch out like a muddied patchwork quilt in the distance, but inside the wood everything is dense and earthy. Scarlet berries lace the branches that lead you down windy paths, and you are followed only by the rustle of pigeons as they spring from their perches high above the ground. Bella (the pup) was terribly excited as it was her first exploration of the woods, and seeing her paw at the leaves and test the waters of the stream was a joy and we felt like proud parents showing her off to the world.

It's not that having a dog forces us to do things and go places we wouldn't normally, it simply means we are more likely to create opportunities to explore both the surrounding countryside, and the seasons. What could be better than that?

Although this post is excessively late in that we only have a few days left of the month, I still wanted to post it as one of the key seasonal meals of October is served up on the 31st - Halloween. I've never been quite sure what to make of this annual celebration; trick-or-treating didn't really take place in our household as I was growing up and it would often drift by without me or my sister really noticing. However, I'm more than willing to embrace the joys of cooking a hearty meal and partake in a spot of apple-bobbing should the mood take me.  But what to cook?

The obvious choice is pumpkin, and how much simpler could you get than pumpkin soup in a pumpkin? Head over here for a delicious, easy recipe.

Or if you've got a sweet tooth, why not try this pumpkin and ginger teabread - perfect fresh from the oven with a thick smearing of butter that soaks through the crumbs.

If pumpkins and squashes aren't your thing (and despite being an autumnal food-lover they're not my favourite thing in the world), go for something a little less orange and try a chicken and leek pie with celeriac mash. If you've never tried out the glorious vegetable that is the celeriac, make sure you do this year; it's a triumph and works especially well roasted alongside other root vegetables if you're not in the mood for mash.

If you're thinking ahead to Christmas and beyond, why not make the most of a seasonal glut of apples and try your hand at cider making? Darina Allen has the easiest apple cider recipe that dates back to the 19th-century in her recipe book Forgotten Skills of Cooking (featured previously in this post) and I have used this recipe with no problems for the last couple of years. Simply do the following:

• Grate 3kg of apples (the recipe says cooking apples but I used a mix of both) into an enamel/stainless steel/fermentation bucket. I use a food processor to do the grating for me as I make large quantities.
• Cover with 7.5 litres of cold water. Stir with a sterilised spoon every day for a week.
• Strain and stir in 900g sugar, 50g fresh ginger and 3 cinnamon sticks.
• Leave for another day then strain again through muslin.
• Pour into sterilised bottles and seal tightly.

The theory is that making the cider now will provide enough for over the festive period, but if you leave it a little longer I have found that the taste does improve.