What can you do with sloe berries?

mrs_baggins

you can always make sloe gin but use vodka instead-if that makes sense!

doddsy

I picked 14lbs on Saturday afternoon, they will be made into Sloe Gin. I would say it's worth trying because it doesn't taste like gin once it's infused for a few months with plenty of sugar. Gorgeous!!

doddsy

spendingmad

Hi

All this talk of blackberry vodka has made me go berry picking with my son.

I found lots of brambles but no berries on them, have they been picked or just not ready yet? (We live in shropshire)

Anyhow I did find some berries but not sure what they are, they look like blueberries but how can i be sure?

The bush had small oval ish shaped leaves and the berries are 0.5cm

Oh and I have just tryed to cut one in half and theres a stone in the middle so not a blueberry -

Any ideas what they are?/ are they safe?/ what can i do with them?

Thanks for your help sorry if I sound like a numpty!

CountryWife_2

Hi spendingmad,
Looks like you have found some sloes. They are the fruits of the blackthorn and are very sharp, so you cant eat them as they are but you can make sloe gin from them. You can also make them into a jelly to eat with cold meats.

spendingmad

Thanks Countrywife,
I have a bottle of gin in the cupboard - will go and find a recipe - looks like Grandads christmas present is sorted Homemade Sloe Gin!

THIRZAH

If they are sloes it's probably a bit early to pick them.I think you are supposed to wait until after the first frost of the autumn which with the year we've been having probably won't be long now!

You should still be able to find blackberries. I live in North Derbyshire and my cultivated blackberries have only just started to ripen and wild ones are usually a bit later .

Wild blueberries or bilberries are found on very low bushes usually on the moors. You really have to search for the berries. They are tiny-smaller than the ones you buy in the shops. Four of us picked bilberries for over half an hour once and we ended up with 6 oz of fruit-just enough for one batch of muffins!

thriftlady_2

They do indeed sound like sloes or bullaces (wild plum). It is too early yet to pick them for gin. My books tell me you should wait till after the first frost as that breaks the tough skins and allows the gin to permeate them. Trouble is, if you wait that long the birds will have had them. I'm wondering if you can acheive the same effect by freezing them.

Damsons are great for gin too

Penelope_Penguin

thriftlady wrote: »

They do indeed sound like sloes or bullaces (wild plum). It is too early yet to pick them for gin. My books tell me you should wait till after the first frost as that breaks the tough skins and allows the gin to permeate them. Trouble is, if you wait that long the birds will have had them. I'm wondering if you can acheive the same effect by freezing them.

Damsons are great for gin too

Sound like sloes to me, too. I agree, it's too early to pick them, though round here, there's a good crop, so should be plenty for the birds and you, too. Brambles are coming ripe here, atm, and the crop is good.

When I first made sloe gin, I was advised to slit the skins with a pin to allow the gin to get in. Fiddly job, and took ages. Now I just wash, dry, and stick them in a freezer bag. Freeze for a few days, then add to the gin - works like a dream, and the gin starts to take on colour straight away.

Enjoy your gin - it should be ready in time for Christmas.

Penny. x

spendingmad

Thank you all for your help! The bushes are only across the way from our house so will be across there come the autumn! xx

Hapless_2

Buy Food for Free by Richard Mayby (sp) fantastic book on what you can and can't eat wild wise.