Chestnuts and Wine

October is well and truly here with its requisite wind and rain, but what does October mean to you? Snuggling up indoors, throwing a Halloween party or hunting for conkers and chestnuts?

October was originally the eighth month of the Roman calendar, hence its name taken from the Latin word for eight, “octo”. Its historic Germanic name was Wein-mond, meaning wine month, could be a good time of year for curling up indoors with a glass!

If you’re braving the outdoors to walk among the fallen leaves and search for chestnuts and conkers, there are a few things you may be interested to know. Conkers are the seeds of the horse chestnut tree and tradition has it that they can be used to ward off spiders. Householders used to surround their homes with conkers to keep out the eight-legged creatures, but there is no proof that this actually works. While conkers are not suitable for human consumption, chestnuts certainly are and can be roasted, grilled, boiled or added to a variety of recipes. For great roast chestnuts, set your oven to 200ºC, 400ºF or Gas 6, cut a cross in the skin of each nut, place in a roasting tin and cook for about 30 minutes until tender.

 

On October 13th this year the full moon known as Hunter’s Moon was visible. The name appears to date back to Anglo-Saxon times, when meat was hunted and preserved in preparation for the coming winter.

Being prepared for winter is a sensible plan, whether it means buying new coats and boots, stocking up the larder with a few basics or talking to Horsford about new windows and doors to help keep the cold out of your home.

Whatever you do this Autumn, have a great time.