My sloes are picked and ready for making my sloe gin… first I will freeze the sloes then thaw them out before pricking the skins with a needle.
It won’t be ready for this Christmas but maybe we can keep it for next …
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Thanks Sally – that sounds like something I can do with my children with an end result treat for mummy. I’ve just got to make sure I pick the correct berries. (I wonder if it’s nice poured over ice cream?) My son was complaining that he wants to eat strawberries in spring – I like to pick seasonal fruit with them, I think it gives them an understanding of nature and our part in it rather than staying with a supermarket mentality. A freind of mine runs a teaching establishment that introduces urban children to farming and nature, the reactions of the children provide some stories! Enjoy your gin and thanks again for the advice 🙂
I remember the first time I got really sozzled was when I went round to my Aunt Millie’s friends sampling home made wine etc
Philipa… Yes you pick the sloes from the hedgerow, they are found in lots of the hedgerows in the countryside.
you just add sloes to gin and sugar then shake everyday for a week then continue shaking once a week for a few months.
This is my first time making sloe gin 🙂
Thanks to everyone else for the advice about freezing and pricking…..
Pete.. next time I am about I will be round to try your cassis..
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Hi Sally,
As Philip said you do not need to prick the skins if you freeze them first, I just squish them between my fingers as I put them in the bottle. If you can get a demi-john to make it in (plenty of room to mix and shake). Sue and I bottled our cassis, of course we tried a drop, alcofrolic ribena, a really thick syrup, should be nice mixed with a sparkling wine. Next time your over you’ll have to come and try some.
The freezing breaks the skins so you do not need to prick the skins with a needle. Or prick the skins and then you do not need to freeze them! You need a large bottle to take the gin and the sloes.
I shall look forward to trying some of your sloe gin Sally, I know it will be delicious.
Dear Sally, I surfed by your site from Ellee’s and saw this post. I’ve only once had sloe gin and loved it – are sloe trees/bushes a hedgerow thing or do you need to buy a tree? And can I ask you, when you source a sloe tree what do you do next after freezing and prodding – do you just drown the sloes in gin? I’m sorry I suppose I should google this but I always find that hints and tips from someone who has actually done it makes for the best result. Hic!
Like the site v.much 🙂