Crowstalker
Well-Known Member
It's that time of the year sloes are ripe for the picking, what recipe do you use to produce your sloe gin or even sloe jam?
Post your Sloe Gin/Jam recipes here.
- Thread starter Crowstalker
- Start date
2lb sloes ,2lb sugar 4litres aldis London dry gin.
Freeze the sloes till they split then allow to thaw and into a demi john with 2lb sugar in.
Pour in the gin and shake like billy sticks to mix.Pop a sterilised trap in the top and pop in a warm dark cupboard.
Shake 7 bells out of it daily for about a week,then leave it alone for 6 months.
Bottle and hide for at least a year, then stumble on them and smile
Freeze the sloes till they split then allow to thaw and into a demi john with 2lb sugar in.
Pour in the gin and shake like billy sticks to mix.Pop a sterilised trap in the top and pop in a warm dark cupboard.
Shake 7 bells out of it daily for about a week,then leave it alone for 6 months.
Bottle and hide for at least a year, then stumble on them and smile
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Crowstalker
Well-Known Member
That's a lot of gin!!2lb sloes ,2lb sugar 4litres aldis London dry gin.
Freeze the sloes till they split then allow to thaw and into a demi john with 2lb sugar in.
Pour in the gin and shake like billy sticks to mix.Pop a sterilised trap in the top and pop in a warm dark cupboard.
Shake 7 bells out of it daily for about a week,then leave it alone for 6 months.
Bottle and hide for at least a year, then stumble on them and smile
Haven't had a frost round here yet but the blackthorn are loaded with them as usual. I really should get some before they spoil.
I personally don't bother with sugar. Whatever container I am using to make sloe gin, I just fill half way with sloes and then I smash up about 20-30 sloe stones in the pestle and mortar and add them which gives a slight hint of almond flavour. Then just nearly fill with good quality gin and stick it on its side in a dark cupboard and take out every day or so and give it a shake for maybe a fortnight and then I just leave it be until my patience runs out.
I'm not very patient so I have to make a few bottles so that at least some make it to Spring.
I personally don't bother with sugar. Whatever container I am using to make sloe gin, I just fill half way with sloes and then I smash up about 20-30 sloe stones in the pestle and mortar and add them which gives a slight hint of almond flavour. Then just nearly fill with good quality gin and stick it on its side in a dark cupboard and take out every day or so and give it a shake for maybe a fortnight and then I just leave it be until my patience runs out.
I'm not very patient so I have to make a few bottles so that at least some make it to Spring.
Gawd! You must be devoid of tastebuds or something! They're like filling your mouth with splinters! Very astringent.
Gin and sugar are necessary extras, imo.
I have
DevonRifle
Well-Known Member
Someone told me that after you’ve strained the gin off the sloes add some cider to the fruit for a couple of days and strain and enjoy. It was lovely but I poured myself a pint forgetting the gin. I had to be helped to bed!
Rhodesianjess
Well-Known Member
Another use for the leftovers in this house is to put the fruit back in the container and put a bottle of sherry in place of the gin that we've just bottled. Just as nice with less alcoholic content.
An old farmer friend used to keep the jars with the fruit/sugar/gin mix under the kitchen table for a few weeks. The family tradition was in moving them with there feet at mealtimes.
The addition of a few drops of vanilla extract not essence at bottling makes for a smoother taste.
After bottling have known people to use the discarded fruit with melted dark chocolate to make bars of a chocolate liqueur.
The addition of a few drops of vanilla extract not essence at bottling makes for a smoother taste.
After bottling have known people to use the discarded fruit with melted dark chocolate to make bars of a chocolate liqueur.
There are two types of Sloe Gin.
1 is simply a fruit (and sugar) fusion, ie add Gin to sloes and sugar.
Bit like adding Skittles to Vodka.
The other is to 'make' an alcoholic mash and add Gin.
There vare several different methods involving washing the sloes, freezing them, pricking with a fork, different ratios of sugar to gin, all sorts but essentially this is a 'fusion' and isn't real Sloe Gin.
The blue bloom on the skin of a sloe is a natural yeast.
It will react with sugar and make alcohol and in the process sterlise itself (like making beer/whisky does to water...)
So you pick the sloes, remove leaves and stems and place (unwashed) in a demijohn.
Add 100% by weight of sugar (ie 2Kg of sloe = 2Kg of sugar). Fit an air lock.
Put somewhere warm (kitchen or airing cupboard) shake/swirl gently, occasionally (twice a week) for approx 6 to 9 months
After a couple of weeks the sugar will turn into a deep red liquid.
Over time the liquid will ferment into an alcoholic mash to about 6% by volume.
After 6 months (longer is better) add 1ltr of gin for every 1Kg of sloes for a liquer or 1.4Ltr/Kg for a lighter/thinner spirit.
Adding alcohol stops the fermenting process so you can now remove the airlock and fit a cork.
Shake once a month for about 6 to 9 months (or longer).
Pour the contents of the demijon into another demijon through a 10 denier stocking and leave for approx 2/3 weeks until the dregs have settled and the sloe gin is crystal clear.
Carefully syphon off into the original gin bottles, you will have to find another bottle or two to empty the demijon.
Real Sloe Gin
The first batch is the most difficult to make as it requires patience, the first batch is ready next year just after you have picked the sloes for the second batch.
When you are rolling you will always have Sloe Gin at Christmas. Pick 4Kgs of Sloes and you will have up to 10 bottles next year.
Cheap gin is best, Tesco, Asda or Aldi's own, buy a bottle a month and stash them away.
1 is simply a fruit (and sugar) fusion, ie add Gin to sloes and sugar.
Bit like adding Skittles to Vodka.
The other is to 'make' an alcoholic mash and add Gin.
There vare several different methods involving washing the sloes, freezing them, pricking with a fork, different ratios of sugar to gin, all sorts but essentially this is a 'fusion' and isn't real Sloe Gin.
The blue bloom on the skin of a sloe is a natural yeast.
It will react with sugar and make alcohol and in the process sterlise itself (like making beer/whisky does to water...)
So you pick the sloes, remove leaves and stems and place (unwashed) in a demijohn.
Add 100% by weight of sugar (ie 2Kg of sloe = 2Kg of sugar). Fit an air lock.
Put somewhere warm (kitchen or airing cupboard) shake/swirl gently, occasionally (twice a week) for approx 6 to 9 months
After a couple of weeks the sugar will turn into a deep red liquid.
Over time the liquid will ferment into an alcoholic mash to about 6% by volume.
After 6 months (longer is better) add 1ltr of gin for every 1Kg of sloes for a liquer or 1.4Ltr/Kg for a lighter/thinner spirit.
Adding alcohol stops the fermenting process so you can now remove the airlock and fit a cork.
Shake once a month for about 6 to 9 months (or longer).
Pour the contents of the demijon into another demijon through a 10 denier stocking and leave for approx 2/3 weeks until the dregs have settled and the sloe gin is crystal clear.
Carefully syphon off into the original gin bottles, you will have to find another bottle or two to empty the demijon.
Real Sloe Gin
The first batch is the most difficult to make as it requires patience, the first batch is ready next year just after you have picked the sloes for the second batch.
When you are rolling you will always have Sloe Gin at Christmas. Pick 4Kgs of Sloes and you will have up to 10 bottles next year.
Cheap gin is best, Tesco, Asda or Aldi's own, buy a bottle a month and stash them away.
Crowstalker
Well-Known Member
Very interesting I dint know this, maybe next year as I've already infused gin with sloes!
Bit like making cider using just the wild yeast on the apple skins, takes 6-9 months as it has to grow slowly because it is less vigorous than cultured strains you can buy?
DevonRifle
Well-Known Member
I di
I didn’t know this. What is the difference in the finished product?
Sloe Gin is a complex, mouth watering liqueur with a range of long lasting flavours the least of which is gin, if the mash is left long enough (3 or 4 years) the mix develops a slight nutty/almond flavour ...
Infusing sloes with gin tastes like gin with some fruit in it, the dominant taste is Gin
Infusing sloes with gin tastes like gin with some fruit in it, the dominant taste is Gin
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