Sloe on th uptake!

[HighHops]

When is the best time to pick sloe's? The wine books say November, but the're on the bushes now saying pick me. They are purple and taste sour but I guess they are meant to.

Wouldn't mind making some gin in time for christmas, but don't know if it's too early.

[Geezah]

Not sure either, but my mum picked a couple of lbs of em last week - got em in the freezer now deciding what to do with em.

I also have 4kg of elderberries and a huge marrow!

I'm planning on making must's from all of them then doing:
Elder & Marrow
Elder & Sloe
Elder & Apple Juice
Marrow & Apple Juice
Sloe & Apple Juice

[Thirsty Paul]

Tradition says not to pick them till after the first frost, however being the impatiant so and so that I am I've always ignored that advice and normaly go for it about now as long as they look ripe, (purple with a whiteish tinge). Once you've picked them pop them in the freezer for a week or so this will help break the skins and allow the flavour to permeate into your gin better. Sloe gin made now will be ready for Xmas, although will be even better by next xmas.

1lb Sloes
8oz Castor sugar
1 litre cheap gin

Gives a sweetness and flavour that suits my tastes but that's all down to personnel preference.
Hope that helps

Thirsty paul.

[HighHops]

Thanks Paul.

I'm gonna make me some sloe gin! I might pick some in November too and see if there's any difference. Does tradition say after the frost because they are riper then? I've seen this said about rosehips as well and wasn't sure why.

[jmc]

Hi

I've made Sloe gin the last few years and I've tried freezing them, and making it from fresh.
I prefer to make gin from unfrozen sloes.
Freezing seems to break them down too much and more of the mouth-drying sourness gets out.

Good method for making Sloe Gin below:
Use 1 off 70 cl bottle Gordons gin + 1 empty bottle
Split gin in 2 into between 2 bottles
Add 3-3.5 oz sugar in each bottle (to taste)
Add 'pricked' sloes to bottle until next to no air gap.
NB: You need to prick sloes to let flavour permeate, but not too much.
I normally stab them once or twice with one of the thorns from the bush.

Once bottles full, screw cap tight and shake daily until sugar dissolved.
Then just shake every few days or week, or when you remember.

Enjoy

ATB
John

[boingy]

Also try making sloe vodka. Same method, different spirit.

[second2none]

Not sure either, but my mum picked a couple of lbs of em last week - got em in the freezer now deciding what to do with em.

I also have 4kg of elderberries and a huge marrow!

I'm planning on making must's from all of them then doing:
Elder & Marrow
Elder & Sloe
Elder & Apple Juice
Marrow & Apple Juice
Sloe & Apple Juice

I have a huge marrow too!! and dont know what to do with it!
haha yeah Im totaly serious, I have never thought of making it into a cider
Have you tasted it b4? it seems such a weird thing to use, but looks like all 5kg of it will be thrown away
unless I come up with some ideas for it pretty quickly!

[Geezah]

I have had apple & marrow wine and blackberry & marrow wine before that was brewed by 1 of my mums friends and it was really nice.

Beauty of free forrage fruit n veg is that if the wine doesn't turn out well, all it has cost you is a few bags of sugar.

Get the SG up to 1090 and they will at least be very alcoholic @ 11%abv, so if they taste poor you can always add something to mask the taste without losing too much strength.