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Treasure hunters watch out: Explore colourful autumnal forests, farmer’s markets and fruit meadows and bring back home delicious mushrooms, nuts, berries and other treasuries for mouthwatering autumn meals.
Autumn is the time of the year when forests slowly start to change their colours from tones of green to a beautiful range of yellows, reds and browns – and it’s also harvest season. Forest walks with the family are a great way to explore the outdoors, as well as fill up your pantry. From September onwards, forests and fruit meadows offer us a whole feast of fresh fruits, nuts, mushrooms and herbs – that is, if you know where to find them. Go grab your family and friends and turn your Sunday walk into an adventurous treasure hunt. Here’s what to look out for:
Mushrooms: Background Knowledge is Key.
September and october make up the main season for collecting mushrooms. But what are the best places to look for them and what do you need to watch out for? Every type of mushroom has its own preferences and conditions on where they grow: Bay boletes, for example, can be found underneath pine trees or spruces. If you want to garnish your dinner plans with some fresh chanterelles and porcini, however, you will have better luck searching in light forests with mossy grounds.
Not a mushroom expert yet? No problem. Even beginners can find and collect their own ingredients. Check for mushroom determining and harvesting workshops in your area. Or ask more experienced collectors if you can walk with them and have them show you which mushrooms to take and which ones are better left undisturbed. A mushroom book guide together with expert guidance are essential for every new mushroom collector to ensure you only pick the right ones.
Mushroom Picking Needs Preparation.
Out in the forest and off you go? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple – mushroom picking needs some preparation. Here’s what you should pack:
- Knives: To cut the stems properly, a set of small and sharp knives is helpful (make sure these are treated with caution around children).
- Basket / cotton bag: Leave the plastic bag at home. They don’t allow mushrooms to breathe, causing them to get wet and squishy quickly. In fact, they might become inedible before they even reach your kitchen. And wouldn’t that be a waste? By the way: Nuts, berries and herbs feel more comfortable in airy baskets or cotton bags, too.
- Smartphone: With the help of mapping apps, you can make sure you don’t get lost if you search aside the paths. You can also mark and remember spots with many nut trees or mushrooms to easily find back there on future searches. Some mushroom types tend to regrow in the same areas after being harvested.
Collecting mushrooms: Some tips to get the most out of your treasure hunt.
Creamy mushroom soup.
So you’ve harvested your mushrooms and now are in need of inspiration? How about a delicious creamy mushroom soup It will certainly warm you up after your treasure hunting outside. Small side note: The selection of Bosch hand blenders ensures best results for your mushroom soup. You can also get extra support, for example slicing mushrooms, from the MUM 5 kitchen machine or the Cookit, our kitchen machine with cooking function.
It’s All About Nuts.
Unsaturated fats make nuts a healthy ingredient in your food plan. Walnuts, hazelnuts and sweet chestnuts can be found starting September. Especially sweet chestnuts taste delicious when roasted in the oven. However, make sure to only collect the ones with fine white hair and make sure to check the shell for small holes, as this can be a sign for parasites. The widely spread horse chestnut looks very similar but is inedible. However, you can still use them for beautiful autumn decorations or DIY projects with your kids. Using toothpicks and wiggly eyes from the handicraft shop turns the small brown nuts into cute little chestnut animals. For more family fun, you can even turn your nut hunt into a competition – who can collect the most nuts?
Chestnut brioche knots.
Oven roasted chestnuts are very savoury and THE taste of autumn, but there are many other ways to prepare delicious chestnut recipes. How do some sweet chestnut brioche knots sound? We’re sure you won’t get enough of these.
Time for Fruit.
Autumn also holds a promise for those who like it sweet. Ripe and juicy apples, pears, plums and quinces – from your garden or the farmer’s market – make for delicious pies or jams. Sometimes farmers open their fruit meadows so you can even harvest the fruit yourself. Blackberries, rose hip, or sea buckthorn make colourful and aromatic add-ons for jams. How exciting for your kids to cook fruit spread from their own harvest. A great way to experience the whole process from harvesting the ingredients up to holding a ready-to-eat jar of jam in their hands.
Pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter.
This one can’t miss when it comes to autumn harvest: Bright orange pumpkins are the symbol of the season – be it spooky pumpkin faces lit by a candle or kids playing on pumpkin patches. Besides the famous Jack o’Lantern, there are many types of pumpkin and squash that ensure colourful menus. There are so many variants to prepare besides pumpkin pie and pumpkin soup. Have you ever tried Pumpkin gnocchi with sage butter? Sounds delicious, right?
Autumn Dinner Decoration.
Having guests over and wanting to present a beautiful autumn-themed dinner table? Bring home some colourful leaves and use them as decoration in your home. Your kids can help you find the most beautiful ones and press the leaves between books. They will make a beautiful accessory for your dinner table. Or you can use thin yarn to tie the dried leaves to the struts of your ceiling light and build your very own natural autumn mobile.
Spending the day outside in nature with the whole family is a lot of fun – and the best thing is you can reward yourself with delicious ingredients as fresh and natural as can be.
