Odana Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) I stumbled upon an undenuded sloe bush last night - I now have several kilos of sloes (and many scratches) and am waiting eagerly for Christmas! I also acquired a discarded 5litre brewing container from the lab at work, so bar a stop at ASDA on the way home for cheap gin, I'm all set. But ... I've never made sloe gin before, so who wants to share their granny's favourite, secret gin recipe? It's just gin, sugar and sloes I understand, but in what proportions? (Edited to say ooops - Just realised I meant to put this in 'recipes'. Feel free to move me.) Edited September 11, 2009 by Odana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris J W Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) http://www.sloe.biz/ Edited September 11, 2009 by Chris J W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac of Cygnet Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) I stumbled upon an undenuded sloe bush last night - I now have several kilos of sloes (and many scratches) and am waiting eagerly for Christmas! I also acquired a discarded 5litre brewing container from the lab at work, so bar a stop at ASDA on the way home for cheap gin, I'm all set. But ... I've never made sloe gin before, so who wants to share their granny's favourite, secret gin recipe? It's just gin, sugar and sloes I understand, but in what proportions? (Edited to say ooops - Just realised I meant to put this in 'recipes'. Feel free to move me.) I envy you! Haven't found any sloes worth picking yet, and didn't find any last year, so supplies are very low. Here's what I do: Weigh the amount of sloes which will half fill a wide-necked container, then add three quarters of that weight of sugar (Mrs Mac adds an equal weight, but that's too sweet for me). Fill the container to the top with gin (and put the top on!) Every day after that upend the container to mix the sugar and sloes, if the top is gin-tight, or stir with a wooden spoon if not, until all the sugar is dissolved. Another month should see the full flavour develop, when it can be strained (we use old tights, but sometimes that leaves a bit of sediment - if I was being fussy I would strain through kitchen roll in a funnel, but that takes ages) and bottled. I'm sure you'll get lots of variations, as everyone has their own preferred method. Edited to say that it is completely unnecessary to cut or prick the sloes, as Chris's link suggests - far too fiddly and makes no difference. Cheers Mac Edited September 11, 2009 by Mac of Cygnet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Shove the sloes in the freezer first, for a day or so - you get more juice out of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 I'm sure you'll get lots of variations, as everyone has their own preferred method. Large measure gin. Ice. Slice of lime. Add tonic to taste (don't make it too wet!). Seriously though, does the addition of sloes and sugar increase the amount of alcohol in total? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haggis Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) I liked a recipe I found on the internet a few years ago which started Buy a bottle of gin and drink half... One thing I can remember is that a few recipes advised putting the sloes in a poly bag in the freezer for a few days before starting to make the sloe gin. This made the skins burst and saved the laborious task of piercing them which you are apparently supposed to do. Whatever merhod you use, enjoy! Haggis Edited September 11, 2009 by haggis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mac of Cygnet Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Seriously though, does the addition of sloes and sugar increase the amount of alcohol in total? No, the alcohol content is reduced. Only the flavour is increased/improved - neat gin is seriously unpleasant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Neat gin is seriously unpleasant. That's what tonic was invented for (or dry vermouth...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odana Posted September 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 That's what tonic was invented for (or dry vermouth...) And there I was thinking the tonic was to allow posh colonial ladies to justify drinking too much gin 'because of the quinine' in the tonic in them there pre-malaria-tablet days.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machpoint005 Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 No reason why it shouldn't do both jobs. Morrisons' tonic is just as good as Sch - stuff, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoda Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 There is a recipe that states you add slivers of silver into the mix but I cannot think how that improves on something so delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odana Posted September 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 http://www.sloe.biz/ Wow! A whole sloe forum! And with moderators with names like SloeHoHo no less. Fascinating stuff. Thanks all. Sloes will stay in the freezer for the weekend while I do all things I ought to have been doing instead of sloe-hunting. But Monday night is for bottling, and then begins the long, long wait to try the first drop. I'm getting most unreasonably excited about this - must be the effect of the sugar from all those healthy blackberry and pear crumbles.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yoda Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Sloe gin came about because of rough gin. Cheapest possible gin made into the stuff that dreams are made of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 No reason why it shouldn't do both jobs. Morrisons' tonic is just as good as Sch - stuff, too. Having done a fair amount of cheap Gin and own brand tonic research (in the interests of science ) I recommend Tescos 'one off the bottom price' Gin (their Value 'Welfare' Gin is a bit er... industrial) and any own brand of tonic except Sainsburys which is vile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teakbank12 Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 I stumbled upon an undenuded sloe bush last night - I now have several kilos of sloes (and many scratches) and am waiting eagerly for Christmas! I also acquired a discarded 5litre brewing container from the lab at work, so bar a stop at ASDA on the way home for cheap gin, I'm all set. But ... I've never made sloe gin before, so who wants to share their granny's favourite, secret gin recipe? It's just gin, sugar and sloes I understand, but in what proportions? (Edited to say ooops - Just realised I meant to put this in 'recipes'. Feel free to move me.) No one has mentioned yet that they should be picked ONLY when the first frost has fallen which is usually mid October (plus easier to pick when the leaves have dropped). No need to prick, you can slash them or rumble round in a collander, or better still pop in the freezer as this splits the skins. We use pint sloes, pint of suger & pint of gin but this was too sweet for us, although the Father in Law who had collected them down the farm loved this mix. We preferred to weaken it with using more gin:) Last year sloes were very scarce, this year is looking far better & all the trees have have been earmarked for us when the Father in Law gets round to picking them on his walk round the fields. BTW sloe vodka is very tasty too !!! Warning DO NOT leave sloes in longer than approx 6 weeks as it gets toxic realeasing cyanide from the stone. The birds love the pulp/leftover stuff after our use, they get drunk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoominPapa Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Warning DO NOT leave sloes in longer than approx 6 weeks as it gets toxic realeasing cyanide from the stone. Really? We've left them in far longer than six weeks, and we're still here......... MP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsk Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Purchase proper gin (40% ABV minimum)... Drink 1/4 of it or decant into another bottle, bruise or freeze sloes, defrost if ness. introduce to gin... leave for a while ( Dog knows how long, weeks not hours though wont rot due to alcohol content, but 37.5% gin i.e Gordons unacceptable)... Drink.. Fall over... My mates Gran used to make this when we were teenagers... I have still at the age of 40 never been so battered (and I have tried earnestly).... Commended, takes the maudlin (sp) edge off the gin and complements the botanicals. Soft Fruit Vodka (strawberries/rasberries ect) can be prepared in the same way and is a yummy summer cooler drunk long with quality lemonade! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smelly Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 neat gin is seriously unpleasant. Lies lies and damned lies... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsk Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Neat gin is both vile and troublesome to the emotions. It's not called Mothers Ruin for nothing. Competent gin drinkers are serious dudes/dudettes, incompetent ones, utter messes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilR Posted September 11, 2009 Report Share Posted September 11, 2009 Last year sloes were very scarce, this year is looking far better & all the trees have have been earmarked for us when the Father in Law gets round to picking them on his walk round the fields. The sloes on our hedge this year are massive - but size doesn't mean quality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickleback Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 I freeze the sloes first, then half fill big kilner jar, add enough sugar to fill the gaps and top with gin. Shake the bottle each day for a week or so to help the sugar dissolve. It will be ready by December if you do it now. Them if you put the sloes back in another Kilner jar and then top up with dry sherry and leave a month or so, it makes a great aperitif! Then, when you've strained the sherry off, make chocolate truffles with the boozy sloes. Chop flesh of sloes fairly small, discard stones. 8 oz best dark chocolate, 6-8 oz thick cream (depends how firm you like your truffles - I like equal weight choc and cream) and 1 oz unsalted butter. Break (or grate) chocolate very small and put in glass bowl over pan of water which is simmering and melt chocolate. Meanwhile, heat cream and butter until butter melts. Pour cream . butter in with chocolate, stir to mix well, add chopped sloes and stir well again. Cover and leave in fridge overnight to cool and go firm. Next day, scrape teaspoons of the chocolate and cream mix and form into little balls, rolling each one on a saucer of cocoa powder to coat. Leave for an hour or so and then eat! Delicious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odana Posted September 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 I freeze the sloes first, then half fill big kilner jar, add enough sugar to fill the gaps and top with gin. Shake the bottle each day for a week or so to help the sugar dissolve. It will be ready by December if you do it now. Them if you put the sloes back in another Kilner jar and then top up with dry sherry and leave a month or so, it makes a great aperitif! Then, when you've strained the sherry off, make chocolate truffles with the boozy sloes. Chop flesh of sloes fairly small, discard stones. 8 oz best dark chocolate, 6-8 oz thick cream (depends how firm you like your truffles - I like equal weight choc and cream) and 1 oz unsalted butter. Break (or grate) chocolate very small and put in glass bowl over pan of water which is simmering and melt chocolate. Meanwhile, heat cream and butter until butter melts. Pour cream . butter in with chocolate, stir to mix well, add chopped sloes and stir well again. Cover and leave in fridge overnight to cool and go firm. Next day, scrape teaspoons of the chocolate and cream mix and form into little balls, rolling each one on a saucer of cocoa powder to coat. Leave for an hour or so and then eat! Delicious. Now this is the kind of reuse and recycling I like!!! So much for the diet starting after crumble season eh...? (have found some damsons now too - am assuming the procedures are similar but now have enough fruit to start experimenting) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueb Posted September 13, 2009 Report Share Posted September 13, 2009 Now this is the kind of reuse and recycling I like!!! So much for the diet starting after crumble season eh...? (have found some damsons now too - am assuming the procedures are similar but now have enough fruit to start experimenting) Damsons are good in cheap rum ;-) Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DHutch Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 We used a saisburys own-brand gin i think, in square clear-labled bottles, as a balance between price and quality for our damson gin. Very morish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drayke Posted September 14, 2009 Report Share Posted September 14, 2009 Wow! A whole sloe forum! And with moderators with names like SloeHoHo no less. Fascinating stuff. Thanks all. Sloes will stay in the freezer for the weekend while I do all things I ought to have been doing instead of sloe-hunting. But Monday night is for bottling, and then begins the long, long wait to try the first drop. I'm getting most unreasonably excited about this - must be the effect of the sugar from all those healthy blackberry and pear crumbles.... Try blackberry gin same quantities as sloe gin this is allso very nice and no need to freeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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