sloe gin

[Turnedoutniceagain]

All done, 2 ltrs of Sloe Gin, 1 ltr of Damson & 1 ltr of hedgerow (Elderberry, sloe, damson & Blackberry). Roll on Xmas

[Azores Hi]

I'm going for Damson gin this year, as well as the traditional sloe. I got some damson gin last year from a friend and it was lovely. I made vannila ice cream with a damson gin ripple. It was sooooo good. I'm also gonna have a crack at damson wine, I will let you know how it turns out.

I got 17lbs of damsons from 3 branches, massive bumper crop this year!

[kar999]

I got 17lbs of damsons from 3 branches, massive bumper crop this year!

Too good a crop. A few branches have split on our trees from the sheer weight of the fruit.

[Rustynailer]

Its a good year here, then so have the last few years.

Some of the slows are sweet-ish this year though, a friend of mine actually ate one without flinching, I tried and flinched but it did not completely destroy my taste buds like usual

Russ

[Turnedoutniceagain]

So how did the various brews go ?? Anyone gone blind ? :o

My Hedgerow gin concoction of damson, sloe, elderberry & blackberry was a belter. Couldn't talk for several days !!

Anything you'd try differently next autumn ?? Do tell....

[kar999]

So how did the various brews go ?? Anyone gone blind ?

The use of my legs is slowly returning.

We picked and sold a lot of our crop of damsons early and got double the price our neighbour got. By the time she picked hers the market was awash with them. I think with what we sold, used ourselves and let our family have over 200lbs was picked and there must have just as many left on the trees to drop as they were too high to pick safely. The lawn in the orchard turned purple when they finally dropped. I've never known such a bumper crop.

If it's as good this autumn I might see if anyone has got a spare Still they don't need...

Edited February 19, 2008 by kar999

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Still they don't need...

pm me about Stills if you need one, I err.......have experience of several types in the Middle East (Had to leave Saudi rather quicker than I anticipated)

[Turnedoutniceagain]

And so it begins again......

Plenty of blackthorn blossom this year = Plenty of sloe berries later on. Shaping up to be a good crop.

Damsons seem a bit slow though, shame, as I thought the damson gin last year was as good as the sloe.

[mezzacyclone]

Neighbour gave us a bottle `o sloe last year, scrumptious!

Must have a crack at this bizniss as we got loads of blackthorns etc. to forage,

As tasty as Aftershock ltd edition 10th anniversary is, the £24 cost could be subbed for almost 4 bottles of Netto Gin for some sloe so theirs nowt stoppin me!

Anybody tried any using Bombay Sapphire gin?

Edited July 2, 2008 by mezzacyclone

[Coast]

Neighbour gave us a bottle `o sloe last year, scrumptious!

Must have a crack at this bizniss as we got loads of blackthorns etc. to forage,

As tasty as Aftershock ltd edition 10th anniversary is, the £24 cost could be subbed for almost 4 bottles of Netto Gin for some sloe so theirs nowt stoppin me!

Anybody tried any using Bombay Sapphire gin?

You'd probably be best off with the cheap gin as the sloes should impart a smoothness to even a supermarket brand:

Take a litre bottle of gin, and drink half a litre (perhaps not all at once )

Prick the sloes and drop into the half-empty bottle so that they displace the remaining gin to near the top. Add approx 150g of sugar

Turn the bottle daily for a week, then weekly for a month or two ... by which time it will be ready to drink (but it is really best kept until the next winter if you can resist).

[Turnedoutniceagain]

You'd probably be best off with the cheap gin as the sloes should impart a smoothness to even a supermarket brand:

100% agree. Tesco's Value Gin is about £6.50 a bottle & does the job admirably !!

[0000]

i'm allergic to gin

[Azores Hi]

i'm allergic to gin

Vodka works Ok too. Or Brandy, that's actually quite good.

Ok just starting to get organised for another year of drink making, today we made cherry brandy, in the spring we made lemon vodka and I'm just bottling up my Damson wine from last year.

[peterf]

Vodka works Ok too. Or Brandy, that's actually quite good.

Ok just starting to get organised for another year of drink making, today we made cherry brandy, in the spring we made lemon vodka and I'm just bottling up my Damson wine from last year.

lemon vodka sounds nice tell my how

[Turnedoutniceagain]

lemon vodka sounds nice tell my how

http://bigosbar.tripod.com/vodka_recipes.htm

Give me a shout when it's done.

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Well I fear the early April snowfall has been calamitous for the Sloe berries around here. Spent about an hour searching out the usual good haunts, but came back with barely 400g. Worse for Damsons, not one in sight.

It'll have to be "Hedgerow Gin" this year - A mix of Elderberries, Blackberries & Sloes.

It'll get you there !!

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Out with the Mutts earlier, spotted a huge haul of Damsons that tasted ooohhhh sooo sweet !!

I'll be popping them in a Kelner jar with some Gin very soon !!

[mezzacyclone]

Out with the Mutts earlier, spotted a huge haul of Damsons that tasted ooohhhh sooo sweet !!

I'll be popping them in a Kelner jar with some Gin very soon !!

Got 3 gallon of damson wine (11 lbs fresh over-ripe de-stoned damsons, 2lb sultanas yeast & nutrient, 3lbs sugar, pectolase, 2 cans of red concentrate grape juice) on its 2nd racking, tastes great already! hygro around 16% so cant wait till the new year

been a great year for damsons & plums?

but back to Sloes and i`ve FINALLY found a decent sized tree so netto here i come!

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Got 3 gallon of damson wine (11 lbs fresh over-ripe de-stoned damsons, 2lb sultanas yeast & nutrient, 3lbs sugar, pectolase, 2 cans of red concentrate grape juice) on its 2nd racking, tastes great already! hygro around 16% so cant wait till the new year

been a great year for damsons & plums?

but back to Sloes and i`ve FINALLY found a decent sized tree so netto here i come!

Top work fella, sounds great !!

I've not been able use the word "glut" for a while whilst talking about hedgerow fruits, but I'm giving the stuff away in bags this year. As we speak, my chickens are tucking into about 4kg of elderberries that I couldn't use !!

Off to Tescos for some gin on the weekend. About 15 bottles should do it....

[Kiwi]

Well I fear the early April snowfall has been calamitous for the Sloe berries around here. Spent about an hour searching out the usual good haunts, but came back with barely 400g. Worse for Damsons, not one in sight.

It'll have to be "Hedgerow Gin" this year - A mix of Elderberries, Blackberries & Sloes.

It'll get you there !!

Strange.... the sloes around here are like golf balls this year!! I've just stuffed a couple of large carrier bags full in the freezer and am off to buy 6 or 7 bottles of cheap gin.

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Strange.... the sloes around here are like golf balls this year!! I've just stuffed a couple of large carrier bags full in the freezer and am off to buy 6 or 7 bottles of cheap gin.

That's a quote from 2008 !!!!!

[Coast]

They are big and juicy ones again this year. Miss Shoreline finished the last bottling of the 2009 Coast vintage yesterday and I think it's going to be a belter. 3 litres of the stuff - I hope its drinkable by Christmas

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Well that's the last of it on the go now. I'd frozen a load of blackberries, Elderberries & Sloes, mixed them with some fresh plums and put the last load on today.

14 kellner jars in total on the go, containing just about everything I could harvest

[Coast]

Can't believe another year has passed and I have completed the annual harvest of sloes yesterday.

Beautiful crop this year of juicy berries with a lovely bloom. Scratched myself to pieces but the bushes were full of fruit and I could have picked three of four times the 7 lbs I got in the end.

What has surprised me is how much the gin has gone up this year. Bought 6 bottles of Value gin (never have used the good stuff) and I'm sure they are £2 or more than last year. :lol:

Now, who freezes them before pricking and bottling and who just pricks them and bottles?

[johnholmes]

I think you lot should pass some of your goodies to the climate section. It might make for some happier and less argumentative posts in there! Well maybe not but your posts remind me of my days harvesting the local hedgerows, elderberries in particular along with buying some plums and a few bananas that seemed to help round off the red wine. I only did the sloe thing twice, not sure why as it was excellent on a dark winter night sipping some of it, sometimes too much with a head I'd rather not have had the next morning!

happy days, and nights.