Sloe Gin

[Dog]

OK ladies & gentlemen, the time is coming up for a sloe picking session. We need a hard frost first to liven them up then it's red nose day for the next six months.

 

Does anyone else make this amazing drink?

 

Receipe:

 

 

Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn tree and are a great fruit to pick in the autumn. One of the last fruits to remain on the trees before winter, they allow the forager plenty of opportunity to harvest.

What to look for

 

The blackthorn (named for its thorny dark skin and bark) is covered in white flowers in early spring. It's great if you can identify it at this stage so that you can be ready to keep an eye on the ripening fruit in the autumn! It is often the first tree to flower, and can grow up to 12 feet tall. Its fruit, the sloe, looks like a small damson. The dark purple berries have a similar dusty complexion.

Where to look

 

The blackthorn is found throughout Britain in hedges, parkland, woods, verges and scrubland. City dwellers are not precluded from enjoying the sloe forage!

When to go

 

After the first frost! The Sloe berry is not a pleasant tasting fruit, as it is very bitter indeed. After the first frost the fruit is ripe and its bitterness reduces slightly. The fruit is generally good for picking between September and early November, but harvest time is weather dependant.

Top tips

 

Gloves! Whilst the fruit can be picked without too much *****ling, the gloves will help avoid 'foragers finger'.

Storage

 

Pick over the fruit and discard any that have holes in (they are being eaten from within!) or that are past their best - they get a bit wrinkly. They do really well frozen and will last a few months.

 

Recipes for sloe gin or vodka ask for each sloe to be *****ed with a pin. Frankly this is an unnecessary labour. A night in the freezer has the same effect, splitting the skin.

 

Sloe gin or vodka is a wonderful Christmas drink and it could be argued that any other use of the mighty sloe is a sin. Even if you don't like gin, it is worth making as it tastes more like a liqueur, as you can make it as sweet as you like.

sloe gin

 

For every pound of fruit add 8oz of sugar and a pint or so of gin or vodka (don't worry too much about the proportions as you can add more sugar or spirit later). Leave it until Christmas, shaking the bottle every couple of days.

 

After a few months (the longer the better, although it tends never lasts long enough to test this theory!) strain off the sloes and bottle the gin. The sloes can be stoned and made into wonderful liquor chocolates.

 

Sloes also make a lovely tart jelly to go with game or with your Christmas dinner as an alternative to cranberry. They can also be used in autumn pudding or jam, but do need quite a bit of sugar due to their bitterness.

 

[EastleighSoulBoy]

About 25 years ago my Mum came back from a holiday in the Italian Alps/Austria. She brought with her an earthen jar, called a Rumtopf. Instead of Gin you use Rum, we later tried Vodka and that was best, and used any fruit of the season instead of sloe berries. It had a plate which you used to weight down the fruit, you then covered the fruit with the acohol. Topping up with each fruit as it came into season and then covering with alcohol in turn.

 

A wonderfully warm drink for a winter's afternoon.

 

This is the nearest I could find.

 

http://www.germandeli.com/rumtopfrecipe.html

[Jonnyboy]

any of said trees in the bitterne park area?

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Put raspberries in and don't over do the sugar.

[John Boy Saint]

Just acquired 2 more jars ready for industrial production, put a tad too much sugar in last time, as much as I would like to wait until the first frost the foragers are out in force at the moment as the trees round our way are creaking under the weight of the sloes. The last lot I did manage to allow to brew for a full year. What a great colour and taste.

 

For added clarity I patiently put the stuff through paper coffee filters, takes a while but worth it for crystal clear (when you put arc light behind it) sauce.

[saint simes]

Picked 7 lbs last weekend! If you are making it for Christmas drinking add a few cloves, tastes fab.

[moonraker]

The art of Sloe Gin making has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember and it is our first drink on Christmas day! Even when I was away at Christmas fighting for Queen and Country my family ensured I received my "Tot". There is no secret recipe the one above will produce the right effect, turning the bottle ever day is important, if you would like a more full bodied result use Demerara Sugar. The need for a frost can be replecated by freezing the sloes for 24 hours. I shall be out this weekend gathering in the harvest.

[wokingsaints]

i have made in the last week, 3 bottles of sloe gin and 3 bottles of damson gin.

 

roll on the winter when i can have a glass beside the fire while reading about another saints win

[SuperMikey]

You don't need to wait for frost to pick the sloe - just pick them and put them in a sealed container in the freezer for a bit. It has the same effect.

[suewhistle]

I made some with Italian sloes last year but they're pretty difficult to find round here (which reminds me I'd better pick em before the birds...).

 

Anybody near Maidenhead I noted back on my summer visit that there were a load of sloes on Maidenhead Thicket. Where I used to live in Ampshire the competition for sloes used to be fierce!

[Tractor_Saint]

Just picked the sloes this weekend whilst geocaching... Three bottles of gin now nicely marinating. PITA though having to needle all those sloes.. hope it's worth it (first time I've tried!)

[Saint Billy]

I've made Damson Gin and Damson Brandy for this coming xmas. I have had a taster already and I think it will put the smile on peoples faces.

[Smirking_Saint]

I tend to round up as many ripe Bassets fruit salads as possible, these are very readily available all year round and much less dangerous to your thumbs and other apendages to pick then around a thorny blackthorn tree.

 

For anyone struggling to find these i have attached a picture below

 

 

I will then force these into a bottle of Vodka and leave to dissolve for 2 or 3 days and shake once in the morning and evening. Then place the bottle in the dishwasher and turn it on.

 

I then leave it another day, strain if need be and hey presto

[Sheaf Saint]

I've just made two bottles of the stuff from the harvest I picked on sunday. Never tried it before, and normally I cannot stand gin (vile stuff that it is) but I'm looking forward to cracking them open on christmas day alongside a few mince pies with brandy butter.

 

[dune]

I started making some at the biggining of september. There are always loads of hedges laden with them near me. Keep shaking the jars every week and had a taste and it's well nice and has made the horrible gin drinkable.

[Deano6]

I don't like regular gin at all but I do love a Plymouth Sloe Gin with Ginger Ale.

[Truesaint]

Made blackberry brandy last year too. Made the same as the sloe gin but obviously use brandy and blackberries. Always use demarra sugar too, just seems to taste better.

[Dog]

Today is the day, got my sloes delivered yesterday, and I will get the ball rolling this afternoon.

 

Just to add I made sloe whiskey last year, it was serious rocket fuel.

[Sheaf Saint]

You ordered your sloes instead of picking them yourself???

[Dog]

You ordered your sloes instead of picking them yourself???

 

No, I got my sister to pick them for me, in exchange for a bottle of the finished product.

[BGF]

Just started brewing some sloe wine and it smells a bit like the blackberry wine I made a couple of weeks ago, my airing cupboard is now full of wine!

[Tractor_Saint]

Wow! First time ever in preparing Sloe Gin and I must say that it was time well spent! Just cracked open the first bottle and really liking the taste. It's a bit cherry / kir like - anyone tried it with Champagne before?

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

Wow! First time ever in preparing Sloe Gin and I must say that it was time well spent! Just cracked open the first bottle and really liking the taste. It's a bit cherry / kir like - anyone tried it with Champagne before?

 

Its called a sloegasm

[Tractor_Saint]

Its called a sloegasm

 

Oh my word - had a bottle of champers in the fridge that was lined up for last night cos I just got a new job but we didn't drink it. So glad I left it for tonight so I could experience the sloegasm

[Red&White]

The art of Sloe Gin making has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember and it is our first drink on Christmas day! Even when I was away at Christmas fighting for Queen and Country my family ensured I received my "Tot". There is no secret recipe the one above will produce the right effect, turning the bottle ever day is important, if you would like a more full bodied result use Demerara Sugar. The need for a frost can be replecated by freezing the sloes for 24 hours. I shall be out this weekend gathering in the harvest.

 

Sloe gin is the dogs ! Demerara gives a lovely flavour to it

[Sheaf Saint]

It's been brewing for two months and I cracked it open today....

 

 

Oh

 

My

 

God!

 

This stuff is amaaaaaazing! I'm going to make ten bottles next year and plant a blackthorn tree in my garden :-)

[John Boy Saint]

................I'm going to make ten bottles next year and plant a blackthorn tree in my garden :-)

 

Just hope we have a good Sloe season again like this last autumn, as for your tree plant a couple just incase you get one that does not fruit. We had 2 in our garden that were self setters both were fruitless.

[Tractor_Saint]

Just heard that the Sloes are ready early this year. Going to go out for a look at the weekend..

[cryoman1965]

What is the ratio of sloeberries to Gin. can you get a cheap gin or do you have to get gordon's.

[Tractor_Saint]

Empty 1L Bottle of gin, fill half full with sloes and then pour the gin in to the top and finally add the sugar. So, 1/2L of gin and 1/2 bottle of sloes - repeat until v v drunk

[Dog]

Just got my carrier bag FULL of sloes, and I must say this year they are as big as grapes, my piles are as big too.

 

I aim to bottle 8 ltrs of Sloe Gin this year, and have told to put whole almonds in the bottle to give it a spunky taste.

[um pahars]

Just got my carrier bag FULL of sloes, and I must say this year they are as big as grapes, my piles are as big too.

 

I aim to bottle 8 ltrs of Sloe Gin this year, and have told to put whole almonds in the bottle to give it a spunky taste.

 

Good work fella.

 

My Sloe Vodka project has been on the go for a little while now. We had two hawthorne bushes up the cricket ground and one bloomed early so took advantage. Had a little taste for QA purposes and it's coming along fine.

[dune]

Just got my carrier bag FULL of sloes, and I must say this year they are as big as grapes, my piles are as big too.

 

I aim to bottle 8 ltrs of Sloe Gin this year, and have told to put whole almonds in the bottle to give it a spunky taste.

 

Have you forraged any Walnuts?

 

I have.

[scotty]

About 25 years ago my Mum came back from a holiday in the Italian Alps/Austria. She brought with her an earthen jar, called a Rumtopf. Instead of Gin you use Rum, we later tried Vodka and that was best, and used any fruit of the season instead of sloe berries. It had a plate which you used to weight down the fruit, you then covered the fruit with the acohol. Topping up with each fruit as it came into season and then covering with alcohol in turn.

 

A wonderfully warm drink for a winter's afternoon.

 

This is the nearest I could find.

 

http://www.germandeli.com/rumtopfrecipe.html

 

One of my neighbours is a very tall Dutch lady, she's got to be six foot four or five. Rumtopf is their traditional home-made christmas spirit, although I didnt actually realise it when I popped round there one afternoon with her christmas card; she hugged me to her and said "you must come in and taste my rumtopf". Given that she was standing on the inside step of the house and I'm not that tall, you can guess where my face landed up. Made my christmas, that did. The drink wasnt bad either.

[dinger]

TOP TIP: instead of shaking the bottles every day, stick them in a box in the boot of your car. Keeps everything moving.

[suewhistle]

What is the ratio of sloeberries to Gin. can you get a cheap gin or do you have to get gordon's.

 

Tried with Lidl gin once. It was vile.

[Viking Warrior]

Nothing better than a well matured home made sloe gin . I have a bottle that is ten years old . It is awesome

[Tamesaint]

Keep the sloes once you have decanted the gin. Keep them in your bottle / demijohn and then add cider to them. Leave for 3 weeks or so , shaking every day or so and what you have then is a pretty special brew. Its pretty powerful stuff - but certainly slips down nicely.

[Joesaint]

Sloe gin on ice at christmas at my dads a couple of years ago, way to easy to drink, lovely.

[um pahars]

Keep the sloes once you have decanted the gin. Keep them in your bottle / demijohn and then add cider to them. Leave for 3 weeks or so , shaking every day or so and what you have then is a pretty special brew. Its pretty powerful stuff - but certainly slips down nicely.

 

Read that on the net and being a cider drinking was interested. RecKon it would work with vodka sloes????? And any cider recommended???

[Mattio]

Don't suppose any posters who live in Plymouth know where I'd find these trees? I'm willing to head up to the moors if needs be!

[Tamesaint]

Read that on the net and being a cider drinking was interested. RecKon it would work with vodka sloes????? And any cider recommended???

 

I think any cider would do. The gin from the sloes makes the sloe cider very potent so I do not think you would want a strong cider.

[Tamesaint]

I've made Damson Gin and Damson Brandy for this coming xmas. I have had a taster already and I think it will put the smile on peoples faces.

 

I once made damson gin but was a bit disappointed. It seemed a little "thin" and tasteless when compared to sloe gin.

 

I don't think that the quality of the gin matters at all when making sloe gin. If you ever go to USA try and find a "Liquor store." THere you can buy bottles of locally produced gin (and vodka come to that) in 1.5 litre bottles for c £10. I have found this ideal for making sloe gin. Tax is already paid so you are not constrained by duty free limits - the only problem is the airline's weight allowance.

 

Many states in the US do not have "Liquor Stores". The best one I have found was in Delaware. I have also found good ones in New Hampshire & Florida - but many states do not have them.

Edited 15 October, 2011 by Tamesaint

[scotty]

I once made damson gin but was a bit disappointed. It seemed a little "thin" and tasteless when compared to sloe gin.

 

I don't think that the quality of the gin matters at all when making sloe gin. If you ever go to USA try and find a "Liquor store." THere you can buy bottles of locally produced gin (and vodka come to that) in 1.5 litre bottles for c £10. I have found this ideal for making sloe gin. Tax is already paid so you are not constrained by duty free limits - the only problem is the airline's weight allowance.

 

Many states in the US do not have "Liquor Stores". The best one I have found was in Delaware. I have also found good ones in New Hampshire & Florida - but many states do not have them.

I

 

:scared:

 

How do they survive?

[Jonnyboy]

Any sloes in the Bitterne Park area?

 

Ive got 15 litres of cider fermenting in the shed - just juiced all the apples that fell off in September with a homemade press designed by a mate.

[Tractor_Saint]

Oh my - for some reason the Sloe Gin is ready earlier and earlier each year. Thank god I froze some sloes and have just made up another 3L. However, first batch is very quaffible..

 

http://lockerz.com/s/157915000

[Dog]

What is the ratio of sloeberries to Gin. can you get a cheap gin or do you have to get gordon's.

 

Tried with Lidl gin once. It was vile.

 

 

Gordon's is a cheap gin, and Sue it doesn't matter what quality it is as the sloe's take over the flavour, so for once my darling, you are talking out of your arse!! x

[sambosa75]

Read that on the net and being a cider drinking was interested. RecKon it would work with vodka sloes????? And any cider recommended???

 

The king of ciders. Strongbow.

[um pahars]

The king of ciders. Strongbow.

 

To me, Strongbow is the Carlsberg of Ciders, horrible!!!!!

 

More a Westons Original, Thatchers, Stowford Press, Old Rosie kind of guy!!!

[Ken Tone]

Oh my - for some reason the Sloe Gin is ready earlier and earlier each year. Thank god I froze some sloes and have just made up another 3L. However, first batch is very quaffible..

 

http://lockerz.com/s/157915000

 

So how do I tell when my batch is ready? Am 'brewing' 2 lots. Earlier one seems to be settled, but seems a bit sweet to me.

 

Do the sloes continue to 'leak' flavour indefinitely, or is there a time when I should filter them off to avoid them spoiling or rotting in some way? Though I presume the alcohol preserves them pretty much indefinitely?