Kitchen Garden Forum

For anyone about to make this - here is a top tip I got given.

Instead of pricking all the sloes with a needle to get the juice to run, freeze them. The skins will split and you can just defrost them and add them straight into the sugar and gin.

Saves loads of time and also means you don't end up with sore stained fingers.

Sue

That really is a top tip - thank you!

I decided to make some Damson Brandy for the first time and couldn't be 'faffed' with a needle, so used a fork. Lots more holes in a fraction of the time.

But your tip will save even more in future, thanks !

Hi

Just seen this string. Many years ago I used to follow the conventional wisdom of pricking the sloes. But then I dicovered that it works just as well without. Gardening and wine/liqueur making is full of superstition handed down by both word of mouth and repeated uncritically in the books and mgazines we read. So my top tip is to put them in a jar without any pricking - and probably add less suga than the old recipes suggest. It has worked well for over 10 years.

Chris

I have just found a recipe on the net for 'sloejacks' which are flapjacks with the addition of leftover alcoholic sloes. -sounds good to me!

http://www.genre.fsnet.co.uk/kitchen/sl ... index.html

Juliet wrote:I have just found a recipe on the net for 'sloejacks' which are flapjacks with the addition of leftover alcoholic sloes.

I can also report that sozzled sloe leftovers make a good addition to fudge too. The "dryness" of the sloes counterbalanaces the sickly sweetness of the fudge well!


Colin