October brings thoughts of stews, squashes and apples – think apple harvests, apple-tasting days and the promise of toffee apples. Cosy autumnal baking recipes like French apple tart and sticky pear & ginger cake are also on the kitchen agenda.
Autumn is a season of contrasting temperatures, not only outside, but also in our favourite dishes – such as steaming bowls of soup served with wedges of cheese on toast, chilled butter on jacket potatoes or a scoop of vanilla ice cream under a dense square of hot sticky toffee pudding.
As well as these autumnal classics, there are plenty of lesser-known fruits and vegetables still in season at this time of year, such as quince and kohlrabi. See below for more seasonal inspiration.
As the weather turns crisp, it’s the perfect time to explore new flavours with our autumn recipes. Whether you’re craving one of our cosy autumn pasta recipes, hearty autumn vegetarian recipes or looking to bake on a budget with our budget autumn baking recipes, we’ve got you covered. Discover healthy autumn recipes and vibrant autumn salad recipes, and make the most of the season’s best ingredients. Dive into these collections and get inspired for delicious autumn cooking.
Once your produce is ready to go, check out our October recipes for more dinner inspiration.
October seasonal produce
1. Kale
You can find a variety of plants under the umbrella term ‘kale’, from the long and undulating blue-green leaves of cavolo nero to the scrunchy curly kale. For a quirky option, try the hybrid kalettes – a cross between kale and brussels sprouts. This autumn season, try making our punchy kale and kimchi fried rice, which comes together in 30 minutes for a speedy midweek dinner. Or save our hearty chorizo and kale brothy rice and creamy butter bean, kale and lasagne soup for colder evenings.
2. Horseradish
Horseradish root can look a bit odd, like a large, slightly darker and thinner parsnip. You don’t need much for a decent batch of horseradish sauce but the fresh stuff doesn’t keep, so grate all of it and freeze what you don’t use. It’s eye-stinging work, so open the windows before you start – or, better still, use a food processor to finely chop the horseradish. Try Tom Kerridge’s stout-braised short ribs with horseradish and carrots for a perfect family feast, or our juicy apricot orange horseradish air fryer chicken thighs with a rainbow confetti salad. Leftover horseradish sauce is good in mashed potato, with smoked salmon or as a dip for pizza crusts.
3. Kohlrabi
Light green with tendril-like branches, taste-wise kohlrabi is a cross between broccoli and radish. Serving it raw allows the crisp texture to shine through but it does also roast well. The leaves are edible, too – cook as you would spinach or cabbage. The only parts of the kohlrabi to discard are the tough outer skin and the shoots. Look for smaller kohlrabi that feel heavy for their size and whip up a peppery kohlrabi slaw or shaved kohlrabi salad with pickled jalapeño dressing. Alternatively, try roasting them with baby plum tomatoes in our kohlrabi traybake.
4. Quince
A popular use for quince is as a sweet, sharp jelly served with hard cheeses (known as quince paste, quince cheese or membrillo). See our quince & rosewater jelly and quince paste recipe to find out how to make your own quince paste. Alternatively, try them baked in our our moreish quince and apple hand pies or used as a glazed on our beef brisket for a savoury weekend showstopper.
5. Pumpkin
Pumpkins are the winter squash family stars best known for their role as Halloween lanterns. Beneath their tough orange or yellow skin lies bright orange flesh that’s sweet and honeyed. They’re also packed with fibre and a variety of vitamins and minerals. When choosing a pumpkin, look for one that feels heavy for its size with smooth, firm skin. Smaller pumpkins tend to have more flesh, making them an excellent choice for cooking. While their thick skin can be tricky to crack, the soft, sweet flesh inside is worth the effort. Pumpkins are delicious roasted or used in stews, soups, and even desserts. Try our creamy pumpkin pasta for a comforting vegetarian dinner, freezable curried pumpkin soup for an easy midweek meal or autumnal maple baked pumpkin, wild rice and feta salad.
Browse recipes for other ingredients in season in October:
Seasonal food dates in October:
6 October – National Noodle Day
Noodles are incredibly versatile so it’s only fitting they have a day dedicated to them. For fresh inspiration, explore our stir fry recipes, slurp-worthy ramen recipes and chicken noodle soup recipes, and clever ways to upgrade instant noodles into something truly special.
17 October – National Pasta Day
After a long day there’s nothing more inviting than a big portion of pasta covered in melting cheese and a delicious sauce. Check out some of our comforting pasta bakes this October to keep the chills away. We also have brilliant pasta sauce recipes and quick pasta recipes that the whole family will enjoy.
21 October – Apple Day
Celebrate the humble apple this October by making it the star of your dishes. Perfect in salads, pies, crumbles and tarts, there’s little that an apple can’t improve.
Other food dates for your diary:
1 October – International Coffee Day
If you need a pick-me-up, check out our irresistible coffee recipes.
See our seasonal calendar for more inspiration.
Check out more autumnal recipes…
Autumn recipes
Autumn soup recipes
Autumn cake recipes
How to cook with pumpkin
Autumn storecupboard essentials
What are your favourite ingredients to cook with in October? Leave a comment below…