Sloe gin
Foraging diaries # 14: Sloes
Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn tree (Prunnus spinosa). They are berries that look like tiny purple plums. Don't try to eat them straight from the tree... trust me, I've tried! Raw they are tart and astringent.
Sloes appeared on the blackthorn tree around July. I wasn't quite sure when to pick them.
'There's lots of debate about when to pick sloes. For the best flavour, wait until the berries are ripe. They should be a rich dark purple and should squash easily between your fingertips. It's a good sign if they've already started to drop naturally to the ground'. (Woodland Trust)
I've waited 2 months for them to get plumper and ripe. By the end of September there were still no sloes on the ground, a few were becoming dry on the tree and the Autumn rains were coming so I decided that it was now or never.
'Sloes should be picked after the first frost. The theory behind this is that the frost splits the skin so the juices can flow into your gin without you going into the effort of pricking all the berries' (Woodland Trust). Avoiding the wait for the first frost is easy: freeze before cooking.
This recipe is Darina Allen's. It will take a few months to get the sloe gin just right. I am looking forward to have it neat, on the rocks or drizzled over ice-cream.
Serves: 700ml.
- 400g sloes
- 700ml gin
- 200g sugar
- Wash and dry the fruit.
- Prick each berry in several places (use a sterilised darning needle). I avoided this by freezing them and then defrosting them the next day.
- Put the berries in a sterilised glass jar and cover with the sugar and gin. Seal tightly. I used a 1.14 litres jar so make sure it's not smaller than this.
- Shake the jar every couple of days to start with and then every now and then for 3-4 months, by which time it will be ready to strain and bottle.
1 week later 
3 weeks later - It will improve on keeping so try to resist drinking it for another few months.
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