After last years disaster, the sloes are ready.
Just need to buy the gin & caster sugar & we are a go.

Now, I just need to bottle the old sloe gin first & clean out the old jars ready for this years production run.

I'm just waiting for the first frost before picking my local hidden supply but they are looking good this year. Have always been advised to avoid cheap Gin but might try a bottle this year to see how it goes.

Never had a go and there are billions in the hedgerows near us

what do you do

I'm off picking tonight, the first frosts thing is bobbins this yr, they're all ripe now.

http://www.sloe.biz/

pick em, prick em in large jar, add half caster sugar & gin, gentle shake every day until sugar dissolves add second half caster sugar, dissolve leave in dark cupboard for as long as you can.

I've been making for 20 odd years so now built up levels that we drink 5 year old sloe gin which is great on a cold winters day.

Pah I hate Gin <spit> Vodka is the one true way 😉

But yes on my blackberry and rosehip picking reccy on Sunday things are looking good on the Sloe front.

Never worry about frost. Pick them now and plonk them in the freezer overnight. Job done

Never actually made it, but this is a lovely sloe based drink…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patxaran

There is nothing wrong at all with cheap gin – as long as the alcohol content is high enough this is hte important aspect. You are dramatically changing the flavour with the sloes after all. Friends and I have used own brand gin and cheap holiday gin without exception and had comments on how damned good it is. Don't wait for the frost over ripeness – my local sloes are ripe now so I'm picking them now.

Take bottle of gin, empty half gin out.

Put sloes with skin broken (different methods here) into bottle until half full with sloes.

Put 150g of sugar (granulated is fine) in there, top up with gin.

Shake, put in dark place, shake once a week.

3 – 6 months later, decant wonderful gin, drink.

This year I want to try sloe sherry and slider. You use the gin-soaked sloes and chuck em in a gallon of scrumpy or a bottle of sherry – then leave for a bit.

Hic!

I think I have enough sloes for a couple of gallons this year – a great harvest!

pfft. mushroom gin is the way forward…

I've had rum perry, but not sloe cider, must try it as I live in cider ville

had 2 litres on the go for a week now, roll on christmas#!

Headed to Lidls tonight, but their gin is more expensive than the Sainsburys Own Brand! Anyone found any cheaper than about £10 s litre? I need quite a lot this year.

Picked another 500g of sloes on the way home tonight 🙂

Anyone found any cheaper than about £10 s litre?

Not yet, £11.49 / litre so far.
Needs loads woder if I can get any bulk discount 😀