Sloe Gin

[JH02JLH]

This afternoon I spent a lovely hour blackberrying with the children and some friends and whilst we were out I noticed some blackthorn bushes with an abundance of sloes.

I made some Sloe Gin last year but didn't have a proper recipe. I still have some left and when you think that a bottle of Gordon's Sloe Gin sells for between £15 -18, making some of your own is a much better idea!

Here is a recipe I found:

Take 1 litre of gin and drink half of it.

Take your sloes (picked in October or November after the first frosts) and prick them.

Put enough sloes into the bottle to displace the remaining gin so it reaches the top of the bottle.

Add about 150g of sugar.

For the first week, agitate daily and then weekly for a couple of months by which time the sloe gin should be ready.

It can be kept for up to a year though - remove the sloes after about 6 months.

Makes ideal Christmas presents and is perfect for drinking at New Year when it should be ready!

Enjoy!
Jane

 

[robjay]

Can you make this slow gin stuff without the berries? I asked at Tesco's at the fruit counter if they had any slow berries, guy said their all slow in fact their staitionary so I looked in that aisle all they had was evelopes and pens. that guy doesn't know what he's talking about huh.
I'm on a diet just now so cutting out the sugar.
Do you agitated the gin by telling it vodka tastes better than it?.
Can I use Gordon's gin? because he's ill in hospital and has been told to stay off the drink.


Ok Iva dwank arf tha jen whaft mhi supperpost two dloo whif the oler harf blottel hic. Glod idela jlane lith hic i whill bluy a udder blottel insa mourning hic

slob

 

[JH02JLH]

roflmao!!!:rollin
:rollin

I love your take on my sloe gin, Rob!!

It does help to use berries and sugar but I think Gordon might be a bit agitated himself if you nicked his gin...

As for agitating the gin itself, I stuck a photo of me next to the bottle last year and that seemed to be enough.

Happy drinking!
Jane:lol

 

[Snowy]

Best way is to freeze the soles then when the thaw they split open.

 

[JH02JLH]

Hi Snowy!

Your tip was backed up by a woman I was talking to in the shop today - she said pick them now and then freeze them overnight.

As they split open pop them into the bottle.

So I might be drinking a lot of gin tomorrow night!

Hic!
Jane

 

[Portofan]

Huh!

The tea lady has spoken!

Camomile tea that is!:lol

And why wait till Sunday night for a gin or two. What's wrong with Saturday?

Yours faithfully
(No! That can't be right??)


Portofan(Mr):lol

 

[JH02JLH]

Re: Re:Sloe Gin

Dear Mr Portofan,

I am not really keen on gin (if I am honest) but if I have to drink it to make sloe gin (which I love) then so be it.

But as I am not a Gin drinker, I do not have any to hand, so would have to visit my local Tesco's to buy some (and possibly check out the stationery fruit).

I have foresaken the camomile tea tonight in favour of a rich, juicy red from the South of France.

Yours sincerely
Jane (Mrs)

 

[Rosie10]

Re: Re:Sloe Gin

Hi
You can use Jane's recipe & substute morello cherries, fresh damsons or apricots & for the spirit use vodka or even the cheaper white spirit type-of Bacardi.
My mother used to make it every autumn for Christmas drinking. Sadly it all got out of hand one year when she thought it would be a good idea to make a trifle with the friut she had removed from the spirit.
The maiden aunts' were never the same again.

 

[PennyWhite]

Re: Re:Sloe Gin

There was a recipe given to me by someone from Jersey which was pickling lemons in vodka, very similar method. I think I have heard of Sloe Vodka too... not a gin drinker meself but if the sloes are in there long enough it doesn't taste ginny.

 

[JH02JLH]

Re: Re:Sloe Gin

I bought a litre bottle of gin in Tesco's yesterday for just over £7.00 and so I am off to pick my sloes today.

It's misty and chilly here in Northamptonshire (but no frosts yet) so will freeze them tonight and do the deed in the next couple of days.

Anyone made any sloe gin yet?

Jane

 

[JH02JLH]

Re: Re:Sloe Gin

I didn't get around to picking my sloes yesterday but went instead today.

The birds had eaten quite a few but I managed to find a bush with some beautiful ripe ones and we filled our container.

It was a gorgeous afternoon - perfect Autumn weather, a bit misty and warm and the children had great fun helping me!

I got home, split my litre bottle into two and set about pricking the sloes and adding them to the gin (I now have black fingers and nails!)

It was very easy, but with the second bottle I added the sugar first rather than last as it displaced a lot of gin!

I have agitated both bottles (by staring at them) and so now the waiting begins! I can't wait to drink them!

Jane