PHOTO - sloe picking time

[DAVID in WALES]

Again, do you guys have Sloes the fruit of the Black Thorn tree over there?
In this area very common trees, and a heavy crop this year. The fruit is bitter tasting, and people make Sloe Gin.
puncture wound ends of Sloes with sharp knife, add sugar for sweetness and add to cheap brand of Gin. Let it ferment for at least a year. Then decant the liquor which is tasty but very potent brew.
People throw away the sloes - DONT. Cut them into quarters and destone. Cut up some unsalted nuts like hazel or walnut into similar sized peices to the sloes and mix them into melted dark cooking chocolate. Pour into shallow tray and allow to cool in fridge.
Cut into small squares and ENJOY, alcoholic chocolate which you wont want to share with even your best friends !
If you find that sloe gin is too bitter, an alternative is to use damsons instead which is a much sweeter drink.
David

 

[Paul from MI]

Always wondered where Sloe Gin came from. Don't drink the stuff, more of a scotch man myself. Try the same method with blackberries, sugar, and cheap whiskey some time. Works just as well and everyone loves the stuff.
Paul

 

[Bill(Wis)]

My aunt Margaret has a glass of sloe gin almost every day. She's 96 years old and still has all her marbles so it certainly hasn't hurt her any. I had no idea until now what it was or why it was called "sloe" gin. I might just try some. Thanks.

 

[KIP in MX]

Speaking of adding things to liquor, I had a great uncle that drank bourbon and his ranch hands would drink it when he was away, so he started putting a handful of chiltepin peppers in the bottles. No one but him drank it after that.

 

[Mattias]

We have them here in Sweden to. Old timers like my grandmother used to do the same thing with the berries using vodka or similiar instead of gin.
Berries are supposed to be best after some frost, you could also put the in the freezer over night. in the cities they are now really hard to come by since the immigrants picks them and does it early, have no idea what they do with since most of them are nnalert. I've been thinking of picking some for years, but... maybe this year.