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Sloe or Not?

EmptyheadtimeEmptyheadtime Posts: 366
in Fruit & veg
I was out collecting my sloes today and spotted some whoppers. As I started to pick them I realised there were no thorns on the Bush and the berries were about 3 times the size of the sloes so they are not sloes. Any idea what they are? Pic shows the smaller sloes and bigger berry in question. 

Posts

  • jonathan.colejonathan.cole Posts: 221
    They don't look like sloes to me, though it's hard to tell and I'm no expert.

    Some sort of wild damson?
  • EmptyheadtimeEmptyheadtime Posts: 366
    That's what I was wondering Jonathon. I have been googling and the berries seem to match bullace  but the bush had no thorns which makes me think damson, but the berries dont seem to have the shape of a damson (according to google). As long as the one or two big berries i may have left in my container dont poison my sloe gin its not a concern 😂🍸
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    What's inside if you slice one open across the equator?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • EmptyheadtimeEmptyheadtime Posts: 366
    I bit into one (I am still alive) and it was a yellowish flesh that was a bit bitter so I am guessing it’s a bullace, but I don’t remember any thorns on the bush which is making me doubt it is a bullace. Anyway, whatever it is it’s in the gin now. 🤞


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited October 2021
    Sounds like what we (as children in Suffolk) called a Blackjack ... a cross between a sloe and a wild damson.  As long as it had a prunus stone inside it I reckon it's perfectly good for making sloe/damson gin. Enjoy! 

    We only knew the Shepherd's Bullace, which is coloured rather like a Victoria plum. 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Our bullace trees don't have thorns so maybe the larger ones are bullace but this year for us no harvest. Weather?
  • EmptyheadtimeEmptyheadtime Posts: 366
     Ah I guess you are right bertrand-mabel, I was not aware of bullaces and read somewhere that they had smaller thorns, but if they don’t then that would make sense. Thankyou.
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