Kitchen Garden Forum

I have recently picked and frozen quite a few sloes, in preparation for making sloe gin. Although these were pointed out to me by a local farmer, I am now wondering if they may be something else? My book says that the thorns are savage- but there were no thorns. Also I bit into one and got quite an upset stomach a few hours later. Could this be coincidence?
Thanks for any help- I've bought the gin already!

Hi Wygela,
I should trust what the farmer has told you they are very dependable people. Sloes look like Mini Damsons with a stone kernel in the middle and have a blueish haze over the fruit. They have a taste that will dry your mouth out. I wouldn't have thought that just one would upset you but then I have never actually finished eating one!

Johnboy's description is exactly correct in that the purple flesh has a distinct blurry haze on it, and if you bite into the flesh it will be green inside (and extremely acrid and sour).
I think there may be more than one variety of sloe because there is a tree near us which has hardly any thorns on it at all (and the sloes were ripe at the end of August this year, whereas in the past we have harvested them as late as October).

What on earth are you doing picking them now?

You should wait until after the first frost.

I'm told you shouldn't pick them before October 1st.

I picked some a couple of weeks ago, 'cos they were on the edge of a field I was camping in, and because i have difficulty finding any near where I live.
the following week, I glanced up from my veg patch and looked for the first time, properly, at the hedge the council/highways agency planted at the bottom of the garden when they built the new by pass. It's a sloe bush! What joy! I'm waiting for the first frost and hope that i get there before the neighbours!

Thanks for your advice and reasurance. Peter- my farmer friend told me that they were ripe- and in fact some are starting to shrivel up on the bush. There are plenty more -so thought I'd try freezing some first. So far I haven't found the definative answer as to when to pick (apart from 'after the first frost' or 'in november'). I'll do a taste test on the sloe gin picked now and later. I'll let you know the results
I've been away from this site for a couple of years. The new look takes some getting used to. Nice to see you still here Johnboy !

My brother is a big fan of sloe gin, but he has a different approach to making it, having a chemistry background. He picks the sloes when ripe, then pricks them all before packing into medium sized freezer bags with lots of granulated sugar. Whilst in the freezer, the sugar very slowly draws out the sloes, leaving a kind of sloe extract that he then adds direct to the gin. I confess, though, that I still found it quite astringent and not very mellow, but I thought it was a good way to use the sloes. I would have thought you can add the extract and then leave it to mellow for a while afterwards.

I read somewhere that frost ( or freezing ) softens the skins of the sloes.I have just defrosted my first batch and made up a few bottles. The sloes were definately much softer. Also not so bitter.

Have you tried using the fruit after decanting the fresh sloe gin.

Stone and add to very sweet jelly.

Jurst hash a lottle inckahole un it.

Great minds Peter......my OH uses the leftover fruit to make Damson Crumble. Scrumptious!

Or try spreading them onto grease proof paper and covering with melted chocolate....

yum yum!

same principle works with cherries after you've made cherry brandy!

Zena, now I can place your avatars expression.

Chocoholic, who has just finished the last bar he had when all\the shops are shut.

my neighbours all make slow gin, they wont tell me where they pick them-each has their own secret bush!
i just drink what they make!

Actually, Herby, I'm more of a crisp a holic. never leave me alone in a room with 12 bag pack of Walkers!