Topic: picking sloes

[sand]

At the risk of repeating myself as I've already posted on the 'drinks' forum, can someone please tell me why I should wait until the first frost before picking sloes?

I found a bountiful supply yesterday, lovely and ripe, but I don't think they will last for the frost, I'm sure they will be picked before then and I don't want to miss my chance.

I have a day off,  my plastic bag and boots ready, dog lead out, to pick or not to pick ???


Sand

[Barnowl]

It's think it's more about timing for ripeness rather than the frosting aspect. The earliest I've picked was in August and they made perfectly good sloe gin.

By the way I'm anti freezing - I think it leads to the gin turning brown after 2-3 years (I tend to make quite a lot every 2-3 years rather than every year) whereas my conventionally made blend (1994-1996 mix) still looked good after 10 years (though sadly no longer with us).

[tim]

I do it by feel!

[Barnowl]

I do it by feel!

One of the benefits of experience! :)

[sand]

Well we've been back to the sloes today.  On second inspection there are an awful lot of small berries, about the size of a black olive, that were quite firm.  Then there were just a few much larger fruit about the size of a grape/damson that had been well picked off.  Just managed half a pound of those :(

We decided to give the smaller fruit a bit longer to plump up, just hope we make it back there before the other sloe ginner gets there.

The dog will be so bored with that walk.

Off down the field at the bottom of the garden now to collect some blackberries.

[gordonsveg]

 ;D ;D
  We picked about 3lb of ripe sloes on dartmoor over the w/e, as we havnt got time to use them for a week or two (going to WSM to see sister in law)we put them in the freezer.
    We have frozen hard sloes and when they thawed out they were juicy and just right to go in the jam. We pick sloes every year for sloe gin(wife) or to go in hedgerow jelly.

[greyhound]

It's always tempting to pick them around this time, but the riper they are, the better the end product.  I think the saying about the first frost is simply an indication to pick them as late as possible.

[telboy]

Agree,
The sloes will stay on the bushes 'til November.
Pick as late as you can.

[cleo]

Taste works for me-if they make your mouth really screw badly then leave them,a bit of tannin bitterness is OK though.

The problem is finding a good supply off the normal footpaths as many will pick first and taste later. I always take a stick when out walking-not just for `effect` but jolly useful for knocking back nettles and reaching the higher branches.

[greyhound]

Oh yes!  Never go without a stick - many, many other uses too!  ;)