On a go sloe, with sloes!

pambler

I've noticed that our local sloe's seem to be pretty much ripe now as well (in the SE as well). I don't think I'll risk waiting for the first frosts to pick them.

This is another good site for all things Sloe
http://www.sloe.biz/pip/

Money_maker

Catsrus2306 wrote: »

Thank you all! Very kind, some of my sloes that I found are very purple and squishy so hoping that these will be ok.

Purple and squishy doesn't sound like sloes. They are unlikely to come off in the dogs fur either and dog will probably avoid spiky plants. Strongly suggest you DOUBLE CHECK exactly which purple berries you are using as they do not sound at all like sloes!

Ectophile

Sloes should look like this picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_spinosa#mediaviewer/File:Closeup_of_blackthorn_aka_sloe_aka_prunus_spinosa_sweden_20050924.jpg

The full Wikipedia page on the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_spinosa

silverwhistle

Catsrus2306 wrote: »

Ok thanks ! Im in Hampshire and they seem to good to wait for frost!

'Ampshire eh? All I can say is that the competition round this part of the county for sloes is fierce I tell ee, fierce!

Thanks for reminding me I need to keep a lookout already. Plenty of blackberries around already, so next week I've an additional task on the list.

As for waiting for the first frosts: I just put mine on a baking tray in the freezer overnight before using them. Pricking them with a silver pin is part of folklore, but I'm afraid I'm out of hat pins at the moment..

timehastoldme

We never wait for frosts, spell in the freezer should do it, we're going to inspect our local hot spots next weekend. There doesn't seem to be much competition round here! Always masses!

kerri_gt

I have no idea where to look locally, we have loads of blackberries near us, and I've just identified a dogwood tree at the end of our road, but never looked for damsons or sloes before.

Ectophile

Another plant that you might occasionally find in hedgerows is the bullace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullace

They are not as sharp or astringent as sloes, but I wouldn't recommend eating too many of them.

There are various varieties, of different colours. The batch of sloe vodka I made last Autumn had a few yellow bullaces thrown in for good measure.

Yorkie_Pud

Could someone be so kind as to identify these for me, I have about an acre on a newly acquired bit of land.
[IMG][/img]

pambler

It's difficult to tell the exact scale from your picture, but they look like bullace to me. The best way to tell is looking at the tree - if it has spiny prickly twigs it will be sloe, if not, it will be bullace. We have a mixture of sloe and bullace near us, the bullace fruit tend to be larger than the sloes, but it's difficult to tell if you don't have both to compare!

Ectophile

Agreed, it looks more like a black bullace to me. Blackthorns have evil spines on them. The spines are modified twigs that end in a spike, instead of a leaf, and are nothing like rose or blackberry thorns. Bullaces have no spines.