never seen one so big !

[jillR]

am I exited or WHAT

this is definatly the biggest ive ever come across

washed and dried and ready for the freezer.

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Jill,

I thought they were Blueberries at first.

Regards

Alan

[jillR]

hi alan

those giant sloes are just cooling off until I let them see the vodka.

[BroadScot]

Err should this thread not be in quarentine till the Drinkies are ready?

 

Iain.

[jillR]

hi ian

 

im  sampling a little of last years just to remind me how to do it ....

 

 

 

 

[BroadScot]

Hi Jill,

 

I had a late aunt who made that in N Wales. Never sampled it. These days am barred from falling down water

 

Iain.

[Hockham Admiral]

Care to share your recipe, please, Jill? 

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Jill, you be careful its not Christmas yet    

 

Regards

Alan

[mbird]

Never tried Sloe Vodka! Sloe gin is lovely, but I'd be willing to try the vodka just for the sake of research 

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Never tried Sloe Vodka! Sloe gin is lovely, but I'd be willing to try the vodka just for the sake of research 

 

 

Just right to accompany uour bacon rolls at the next meet eh Mark? :naughty: .

[jillR]

hi dave,

 

they are early this year as were the plums and the squirrels have

knicked all the hazel nuts already.

 

with sloes its ok to pop them into the freezer for a day or so if you pick before the frost

and it does the job just as well.

 

this year if you wait for the 1st frost there will probably be nothing left  to pick

[jillR]

hi john

the link is more or less the recipe I used but its not really that

hard and fast.

dave told me he adds sugar late to taste and I added a about 1/3

of a vanilla pod.

I dident have the patients to do all that prodding with a needle

so I stabbed them with a fork and loaded them into the jar that way.

as dave mentioned ... sloes are best used after the 1st frost as

it helps release the sloeyness so if they are picked before the

frost they should be put in the freezer for a while before use.

I also read somewhere that freezing also negates the need to

do all the prodding but I give them a stab with a fork just

to make sure.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/sloegin_7722

[Hockham Admiral]

Thanks, Jill, it looks quite simple... now to find some sloes... or would plums do, I wonder?

[mbird]

I was going to mention the freezer trick, but you beat me to it Jill. If you freeze them and then thaw them, it's easy to squish them in your fingers and certainly a lot quicker than pricking them all with a fork.

[jillR]

hi john

you can put many things into spirits and they will do well

e.g. cherry brandy blackberry vodka etc.

if the fruit is sweet they advise cutting down the sugar or

adding in stages to taste.

jill

[Hylander]

Not being able to get to a bush or tree that bears sloes, can you purchase these in the shops at all.        Speaking of Wales when we visited late August one year my sister in law offered me some sloes to make some sloe gin but I really wasnt into making your own,  how times have changed and I would love to do it now.

[Hylander]

Is there, blimey I have got no excuse then.   Beccles is my homne town.

 

Thank you.

[jillR]

sloes can be a bit tricky to spot till you get your eye in.

 

the leaves are quite small and the wood can  look a bit gnarly and fusty. 

 

you can buy them on ebay but Norfolk does have prized sloes.

 

watch out for the thorns.

 

the ones with the bloom on are the ones to use.