Sloe Gin - Why freeze the sloes first?

[reddyreddy]

I picked a kilo of sloes this morning and have washed and sorted through them now, I seem to remember being told that it helps to freeze them before making the sloe gin, is thatmaybe to avoid pricing them - do they burst in the freezer? Surely you could just crush them gently with a potatoe masher before putting them in the jar?

By the way, for anyone who is making sloe gin or has some ready to bottle from last year I read a lovely idea for using the old gin soaked sloes, melt some dark chocolate, mix with the spent sloes and voila, gin soaked sloe chocoalte! mmmm

[Eristic]

What a waste of good chocolate. Sloes do not need pricking or otherwise mutilating and after soaking in gin for 3 months what is left of them is just rubbish. Drain the liquor liqueur then throw the rubbish away.

[grawrc]

Clearly not a Rumtopf fan then Eristic?

[chriscross1966]

I seived what didnt go through the muslin and used it as ice cream sauce,,,,, in fact you could use it to make sloe gin ripple if you had an ice cream maker..... will have to ask around at work and see if anyone has such a thing I can borrow.....

[Eristic]

Clearly not a Rumtopf fan then Eristic?

I make sloe gin and or sloe vodka every year but I just put a handful of berries and some sugar in an empty spirit bottle and top up with desired grog. After 3 months, all the goodness and flavour has been removed from the berries into the drink and the berries become tasteless junk. Once decanted there is nothing more to gain by leaving any longer so it may as well be drunk over Christmas.

[1066]

Hi, I've never heard of freezing them 1st.
I prick a few sloes and then shove them in a bottle with sugar and gin

Happy brewing 

[reddyreddy]

ended up freezing them but only because I didn;t have time to make the gin straight away and didn't want all my hard picking to go to waste via rotting fruit! thanks for your replies 

[oakmore2]

I've heard freezing them helps to mimic the first frost - after which is the traditional time to pick them. Not sure why the frost is important...I pick them earlier to avoid others nicking them!!

I freeze them before defrosting them to add to the gin - if I don't do this then I do  prick them, very tedious, hence the freezing...although from the other posts it seems that this may not be necessary!
xx

[Eristic]

I've heard freezing them helps to mimic the first frost - after which is the traditional time to pick them.

Picking the sloes after the first frost may have been good advice in the 19th century but the weather has changed a lot since then but the berries will have fully ripened and dropped off the bushes long before the first frosts nowadays. First frost can sometimes be in January these days with mid to late November the norm. Too late for Christmas.

[Barnowl]

One of my uncles take the 'used' sloes and puts them into a  (cheap) white wine for a few days. Says the result is delicious.

[chriscross1966]

One of my uncles take the 'used' sloes and puts them into a  (cheap) white wine for a few days. Says the result is delicious.

That's a thought... one of my favourite things to do with sloe gin is to put a shot in a glass of cava, fizzy dry cider (if you're feeling poor) or champagne (if you're feeling rich).... English Kir...... I would be left with less icecream sauce though 

[reddyreddy]

I love sloe gin and champagne, we call it a sloegasm!

[artichoke]

I've never ever pricked sloes, and have made quantities of delicious sloe gin for decades.

I am freezing them for the first time this year for convenience. I have read that freezing mimics pricking by bursting the skin, but that is not why I am doing it.

[Duke Ellington]

I made some blackberry gin and some sloe gin a couple of weeks ago. The sloe gin is already starting to taste good.   Its my first time making it and I also put the sloes in the freezer. When I took them out of the freezer I could see that their skins had burst. The blackberry gin has a milder softer taste to it but still good....Roll on Christmas!!

Duke

[Tulipa]

If you keep tasting them will there be any left by Christmas?? 

T.x

[Duke Ellington]

If you keep tasting them will there be any left by Christmas?? 
T.x

ooohhhh be quiet you !! I have to taste the goods to be sure its good enough to share it!!

Duke

[Tulipa]

I've just started off Raspberry Vodka, we could have a good tasting session.......

T. x

[Eristic]

If you keep tasting them will there be any left by Christmas??

That is why you have to make at least 4 bottles:

Pink gin for September.
Red gin for October.
Slow gin in November.
Sloe gin for Christmas.

[Duke Ellington]

I've just started off Raspberry Vodka, we could have a good tasting session.......
T. x

You really didn't want me to read that did you ~ well I did and you will have to let me taste some of it now!!

That is why you have to make at least 4 bottles:

Pink gin for September.
Red gin for October.
Slow gin in November.
Sloe gin for Christmas.

I like this idea Eristic

Duke

[artyme]

how do you make sloan gin