Having had a glut of sloes last year we decided it could not all go in gin and we raided the cupboard and made whisky, bacardi and schnapps. all worked equally well although the bacardi was fav with the men and schnapps for those more discerning of us. Give it a try!
You can certainly compost the used sloes, but if you like a rather sharp (and decidedly alcoholic) for an at-home icecream eating feats...they're great but you'll need to remove the stones first!! My cousin makes damson gin and recommends dipping the sloes in chocolate after gin-making...or perhaps it is just eating the chocolate at the same time ???!
We always add the used sloes to a bottle of top quality cider. It turns the cider a lovely purple colour and gives it a subtle sloe gin flavour. It makes the cider very potent though!
Decanted our first 3 liters of sloe gin yesterday after 6 months, and made pancakes with chestnut spread, tvaroh (local soft cheese) and sloes on top. Extremely yummy.
Can anyone explain to me why there is not a Sloe to be seen in and around Atherstone & Arley & Nuneaton area. Is it just a bad year across the country or is it just a pocket of the country thats poor. Last year we picked about 20lbs off a few bushes and made Sloe Jelly. This year I wanted to make wine.
The Sloe crop this year is very poor. Its the same story across the country. It seems that the late frosts during the spring of 2008 killed off lots of blossom on the Blackthorn bushes, which in turn has really reduced the Sloe crop. Some of my local bushes which were absoloutely heaving with Sloes last year, but have this year produced none at all! I went picking all day today & collected only 4lbs of them after really hunting hard amongst the undergrowth. I walked nearly 4 miles along the fields & footpaths to find them. Last year I picked that amount in 45 mins from one bush, which shows just how few are to be found.
I live between Stanley and Consett area of County Durham, lots of cycle paths along old rail lines but never walked that far out yet, I wondered if anyone out there has found any decent spots around this area for wild berry picking -Blackberries/Sloeberries/Elderberries/Gooseberries etc in fact any berries that are edible in one form or another, and maybe when we get a decent dry day when I am not at work I will get the chance to go foraging.
If I get a decent size garden when I move house again I might just grow my own bushes.
Where can I find sloes around south-east, even Hampshire - my friend and I always used to find zillions on Tooting Bec Common but this year there are none - oh woe - no sloe gin this year unless someone can point us in the right direction?
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If I get a decent size garden when I move house again I might just grow my own bushes.