Sloe Gin
19 Sep 2010 12 Comments
in Brittany, Cooking and Eating Tags: Sloe Gin
The month of September holds so much for me. It is THE month to be out there foraging for Nature’s free fruit bounty. Blackberries, Sloes, Rowan, Elder, Crab Apples, Haws, Rose Hips are all there for the taking. I recommend Richard Mabey’s Food for Free for inspiration. October is the month for nuts and fungi.
Sloes
This afternoon we went and picked a load of Sloes. Do not be tempted to bite into one of these as they are the most acidic berry you are likely to come across. But they do serve their purpose either by means of a jelly or, as in my case, a beautiful full-bodied liqueur, Sloe Gin.
I use a recipe l found many years ago. Some say you should pick the berries after the first frost but our frosts are quite late we pick them now before they wither away to nothing. Basically take a bottle, quarter fill it with pricked sloes as this allows the gin and the juices to mix, add 2 oz of caster sugar, just cover this with red wine and top the bottle up with gin. Leave a gap at the top as you will have to shake the bottle every day for the first two weeks or so. Seal the bottle and put in a dark, cool place. This will be ready to drink by Christmas if made now but is even better if kept for a year. Delicious on a Winter’s evening by a log fire!
Sloe Gin
Sep 19, 2010 @ 17:55:34
Whoo! That sounds like quite the potent drink, I’d be out like a light. Do you gather fungi as well, Trevor? Or is that too risky?
Sep 19, 2010 @ 18:05:00
Ha ha…it is!! Best to drink when you have no intention of going out! Yes, l gather mushrooms too. I am always on the lookout for Puffballs as they are my favourite, sliced, fried in butter and garlic, on toast…yummy!
Sep 19, 2010 @ 21:28:21
Dear Trevor, No, not for me……..rather have the gin with tonic and a slice of lemon!!
Sep 20, 2010 @ 08:15:48
Dear Edith,
If you have never tried Sloe Gin then l urge you. It is divine. I believe you can buy ready made bottles in certain shops. G & T for me too, especially just before a curry!
Sep 20, 2010 @ 09:57:18
Hi, We picked a couple of kilos of sloes yesterday too – they’re much smaller than last year though! We still have more bottles of last year’s sloe gin than we can possibly get through, so these sloes will go to my mum this year to top up her stocks. Have a few more local hedges still to investigate too if I get another chance…
Sep 21, 2010 @ 13:07:35
Great to hear that Hillwards. I found so many Sloes one year that l tried my hand at making wine with them. It was delicious but took a lot of Sloes! I agree, the sloes look a bit on the small side this year but the blackberries are making up for it.
Sep 28, 2010 @ 01:02:22
Wow! These bottles looks like real kickers=) Thanks for the recipe my husband will try it! How many times do you have to shake it in two weeks?
Sep 29, 2010 @ 19:58:50
It’s best to give the bottles a shake everyday. That way the sugar dissolves and gets everything really mixed together. Good luck.
Sep 28, 2010 @ 07:44:31
One of the Sloe Gin forums recommended freezing the sloes first, if you pick them before first frosts. I do this – mainly because if I wait, they all get thoroughly picked out by others. Freezing them makes the skins tender, so all that lovely flavour mixes with the gin easier I think.
Oct 05, 2010 @ 14:48:22
*Drool*! Sloe gin! I am absolutely foaming at the mout at the mere thought of it!
Oct 07, 2010 @ 00:19:07
Hi, Trevor.
I found your blog through Blotanical and welcome to our community of garden bloggers!
I have never tried Sloe Gin and I wonder how it tastes like. I gather it is good to drink during the winter months and Christmas season?
I would like to invite you to participate in the “Gardening A Game!”. To find out more, please visit my link below:
http://www.mynicegarden.com/2010/10/gardening-game.html
Oct 31, 2010 @ 09:07:29
i can’t drink gin. ever. in any form. i’ll die.
does this method work with vodka? i can drink that.