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Post by rowanberry on Aug 21, 2020 20:54:12 GMT
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Post by ianr on Aug 22, 2020 6:49:22 GMT
They look like sloes to me a big give away is the very sharp thorns and an uber bitter taste  that is until you soak them in gin for a few months  ian |
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Post by Harold Smith on Aug 22, 2020 10:18:17 GMT
Haven't made Sloe gin for sometime. My wife and I used to cram half a dozen 1 litre Kilner jars full of sloes, added just a small amount of sugar (I'm diabetic) and then fill up with gin. The hard work was in pricking all the sloes. Just before Christmas we would decant the sloe gin through a very fine muslin sieve into a couple of decanters. I don't like gin but homemade sloe gin is something to die for. Far better than shop bought sloe gin.
We would remove all the stones from the pulp, break it up into smallish portions and freeze it. Mixed with stewed apple they make the most blissful apple and sloe crumbles and pies. Just don't go driving afterwards. Mix it with some Creme Fresh and put it the freezer for about half an hour or so. Take it out and give it a good stir. The taste it is brilliant and refreshing. Its amazing what you can do with the pulp.
Harold.
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Post by Psamathe on Aug 22, 2020 12:18:39 GMT
For me the "cloudy" surface to the berries in the 2nd photo is distinctive.
Ian
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Post by rowanberry on Aug 22, 2020 19:27:41 GMT
Thanks for those recipes, Harold... I should have a go at making sloe gin, because I make elderberry and haw tincture every year with brandy, (it's an excellent remedy for coughs.)
How do you go about separating the stones from the pulp- is it just a matter of picking them out?
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Post by ianr on Aug 23, 2020 7:18:14 GMT
I'm liking the idea of apple and gin soaked sloe crumble I think mostly nowadays people freeze the sloes for a couple of days and that splits them saves on the pricking, after you've made the gin I assume you just squish them to remove the stone  ian |
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Post by Harold Smith on Aug 23, 2020 9:01:06 GMT
I put the pulp, a jar at a time, into a large bowl and give it a vigorous stir with a large spoon and then pick the stones out by hand.
A bit messy and leaves the hands a deep purple colour.
Harold.
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Post by rowanberry on Aug 23, 2020 13:39:25 GMT
Thanks, Harold- if we get back to where they were growing I'll have to try making sloe gin this year for Christmas!
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01 Berries Aug 2020 by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr
02 Berries Aug 2020 by Wabi Gallery, on Flickr
