In the summer cooking is all about being quick and efficient. The kitchen is no place to be when the sun is belting down outside and the park or garden is a more alluring alternative. It’s all about dishes that involve simple cooking, or better still: no cooking at all.

As the clocks turn back and the weather turns cold, that all changes, however. In autumn and winter, pottering in the kitchen makes me feel calm, meditative and it’s in keeping with the primal need to hibernate and stockpile. At this time of year, I take time over my cooking. An afternoon with a cast-iron pot bubbling on the back burner or a casserole gently ticking over in the oven is well spent.

Autumn is also the time for preserving. Now is the time to make the most of what’s around before it’s gone for another year. Think: chutneys, jams and jellies, made with orchard fruits and hedgerow berries, as well as syrups, infusions and pickles. Making these recipes is an investment, but worth the reward, which with luck will keep you going through winter…

At this time of year, crab apples are the ingredient I look out for. They’re remarkably common on city streets; I have four crab-apple trees planted right outside my front door that bare greenish-red baubles, like premature Christmas decorations. Time spent picking, cleaning, simmering, straining and jarring is rewarded with a deliciously crystalline distillation of the season, set in sugar. This recipe will take a full 24 hours to produce – not to mention however long you spend on the street doing your foraging – but the payoff is worth it.

• 3kg crab apples (about half a tote bag full)
• Approx 2kg caster sugar

Clean and de-stem the crab apples, then roughly chop or pulse in a food processor. Place in a large pan, and cover with water – you’ll need around 3 litres. Bring to the boil and simmer until the crab apples are extremely soft and mushy. This will take approximately 2 or 3 hours. Set aside and allow to cool.

Now, strain the liquid. Place a colander over a large mixing bowl, and cover with a muslin cloth, cheese cloth or clean tea towel. Carefully transfer the contents of the pan to the colander, then gather up the corners and tie with string. In a cool, dry place, suspend the cloth above the bowl using the string – you can attach it to a shelf, a chair, a clothes horse or anything you feel is suitable. Leave it to drip overnight. Don’t squeeze the cloth as it will turn the liquid cloudy.

The next day, measure the liquid in the bowl below and transfer it to a clean dry pan. You should have around 2.5 litres. For every 500ml liquid, add 400g sugar. So, for 2.5 litres, add 2kg sugar. Slowly bring to the boil and simmer gently until the liquid reaches 105°C, using a cooking thermometer. Alternatively, you can also check how set the jelly is by dropping a little liquid on a plate, then putting the plate in the fridge; if after 5 minutes, the liquid is still runny, it’s not done. If it’s set, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool slightly, then transfer to clean jam jars.

Serve with cheese, ham, roast meats or even stirred into stews, sauces and gravies. Or, if you’re feeling festive, set them aside and give the jars away as Christmas presents.