# Have you made your sloe gin yet?



## gable (12 October 2010)

Made mine last night!


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## combat_claire (12 October 2010)

Hark at the organised ones lol! My damsons are still in the freezer and I haven't round to the sloe harvest yet!


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (12 October 2010)

Mmmm, timely reminder, thank you!

I'm gonna get to it tomorrow hopefully; fab.


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## Nickijem (12 October 2010)

We made ours last night too!
We picked nearly 3lbs of sloes on Sunday morning  - we had to go out to buy more gin!!


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## Maizy (12 October 2010)

Nope not yet... I have gin and empty gin bottles at the ready...even worked out which bushes to pick this years crop from.  I found some juicy bushes whilst out hacking.  But since I had my accident I've not been out.  So I need to twist someones arm to go picking for me...can it be that hard?  They will be rewarded!

Then I can take out all my fustrations, by piecing each sloe all over.  I've ran out of last years already, so need to make extra this year!


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## QUICKFIRE (12 October 2010)

Can someone post the recipe, the sloe gin I made last year is still in the kitchen and is too sweet, hence why its still in the kitchen  thank you!


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## Cobbysmum (12 October 2010)

Mine's been on the go for about 10 days now.  First time I've made my own and can't wait to try it.


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## JenHunt (12 October 2010)

QUICKFIRE said:



			Can someone post the recipe, the sloe gin I made last year is still in the kitchen and is too sweet, hence why its still in the kitchen  thank you!
		
Click to expand...

eermm..... gin, sloes and sugar to taste... 

make sure the sloes have either had a frost or are put in the freezer for a day or two and defrosted before you make the gin.
put them in a big empty gin bottle, add some sugar (to taste) and fill up with gin.
put the lid on. shake well, leave somewhere dark, shaking regularly until hunting starts.


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## tootsietoo (12 October 2010)

not me!  Isn't it a bit early?  I thought you were supposed to wait until after the first frost?  I have the best hedges earmarked and I shall be press-ganging the children into picking for me.  In fact, if our neighbour would just bring his cows in then I could do canter work round the field while they are picking!  Perfect!

I used this website last year: www.sloe.biz.  It's really helpful.  Basically, get a litre of gin, pour half into another bottle, top up with cut sloes (or frozen then defrosted ones) til it's nearly at the top then add a wine glass of sugar.  I kept my glass of sugar small, and it turned out really nice, not too sweet.  Invert the bottle every day for two weeks, then hide for up to 6 months (apparently much longer than that and it starts to taste woody).  Then decant.  I did this through a muslin.  I also bought some pretty bottles from jamjars.co.uk and have given it as presents.


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## hogged cob (12 October 2010)

My husband made our first batch last night, got another batch to make in the next couple of days.


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## gable (13 October 2010)

I put my sloes in the freezer for a few days - that way they don't need the first frost and don't need pricking.

I use 1lb sloes, 1lb sugar, 1 pint of gin.

Have made 3 lots this time - but it won't last long!


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## Alec Swan (13 October 2010)

As gable,  but instead used damsons and whisky.  One small problem!  I forgot about the sugar content in the damsons,  it's very sweet,  and very thick too!  The simple answer to that is water it down with more whisky,  I think.  Yummy,  none the less!

Alec.


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## Alec Swan (13 October 2010)

As gable,  but instead used damsons and whisky.  One small problem!  I forgot about the sugar content in the damsons,  it's very sweet,  and very thick too!  The simple answer to that is water it down with more whisky,  I think.  Yummy,  none the less!

A chum made raspberry vodka,  last year.  Revolting!

Alec.

Ets, oops,  intended a single post,  and no,  I haven't been sampling! a.


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## lindsayH (13 October 2010)

I've made mine 

But have also already drunk all of last years 

What's all this freezing malarkey? I prick all my sloes with a needle before adding them, is the freezing instead of that? Would like an alternative to pricking them with a needle as it takes bloomin' ages!


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## MiJodsR2BlinkinTite (13 October 2010)

If you freeze the sloes in the freezer, when you put them in the gin you don't need to prick them, coz as they're de-freezing the skin of them goes all cracked - so saves you the poxy job of pricking them with a needle!

My farrier said to freeze them: he being an expert on anything alcoholic!!!


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## lindsayH (13 October 2010)

Oooh, how interesting thank you. What an excellent excuse to make some more, so I can compare the two methods!


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## Laura1812 (13 October 2010)

I have the sloes in the freezer - do i need to defrost them before putting them in the Gin? I have the Gin and sugar too just need to put the whole lot together!!


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## gable (13 October 2010)

I do defrost mine but I don't think it would matter if you didn't.

Only takes an hour or so to defrost - I spread them out on a tray to defrost them


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## Walrus (13 October 2010)

I thought it was a bit early too. The first frost is a timing marker for when the sloes should be ripe and ready nothing more. The idea of freezing them is to try and avoid having to prick them which is very labour intensive as when the sloes defrost the skins split. You still have to find some way of pricking them or splitting them even if you pick them after the first frost. That was the impression I had anyway. I still have some from last year waiting to be strained!!! Obviously I've been slacking and need to drink faster!! I made sloe truffles last year with the the strained sloes - very yummy!!


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## Carefreegirl (13 October 2010)

2 Litres made and loads more sloes to be picked. I just put a small slice in with a knife, much quicker that pricking them.


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## pipsqueek (13 October 2010)

Have got some damson gin...and some damson vodka steadily brewing away! Don't exactly follow a recipe just prick the damsons, chuck on some sugar and pour on the vodka or gin!  You just need shake it a bit from time to time. (and maybe have a quick taste  ) The damson trees are handily at the top of my horses field!


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## chico7 (13 October 2010)

Just put them in the freezer for a night!! Ive made made somes been brewing for 3 days the other 1day! weve made 4 an a bit litres and picked 2.5kg probs thrown away under a 1kg!! hehe.


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