Topic: Gin what can I put in it?

[Paulines7]

My OH was clearing out part of the shed and came across a bottle of gin that had been in there for three or four years.  I had always wanted to make some sloe gin but never found any berries.  Probably because we go to France in September when they are likely to be on the trees.   ::)

Does anyone know if I could use fresh blueberries or frozen plums instead of sloes and if so, how many would I need?

I just hope the gin will be all right to use after being stored for so long.

[pumkinlover]

sloes may still be ok in October, i have used bullace and damsons before but not plums. however i do find that frozen fruit tends to be a bit too mushy and leaves lots of bits and sediments in the gin which makes it unpalatable. a small amount can be filtered through a fine sieve- coffee filter paper blocks really quickly. I think plums would be far too squishy after being frozen as  sloes are much harder to start with. The best way to find out where sloes are is to look for the blackthorn when it is in flower in spring as it flowers before  the leaves come out and before much else. Then go back when you get back from France!. The gin will be fine to use.

[Kea]

apparently you don't use sloes until they've had a frost so if you can find some you can use them. i have made Damson gin...just waiting now ;D

[triffid]

Re sloes and frost: the idea is that the frost softens them slightly ("bletting" is the old term). Far easier and more reliable is my method - pick the sloes when you see they've got that fabulous blue-black colour with a grape-like bloom on their skins. Round my way (NW London) I was doing that a month ago, so by now I'd reckon that sloes should be ready anywhere in the UK.
Give them a wash, then weigh and bag them up before shoving them in the freezer for at least 48 hours.
Then you can just pour them straight into your gin-sugar mix (in wide-necked jars such as Kilner jars). This cuts out all the finger-staining tedium of pricking the sloes: the sudden transfer from freezer to room-temp alcohol bath causes the sloes' skins to burst so their juice can flow into the alcohol.

After that, you put the jar(s) somewhere so you'll come across them every week or two (ours sit in the larder next to the pasta and rice). For the first month, every time you see it, give it a good shake. Then put it somewhere where it can get to know itself for several months undisturbed. I usually leave the sloes in for a year.
At this point I strain out the sloes, filter the gin through coffee filter paper, taste it and adjust if it needs more sweetness. Then I leave it another year or two - longer if poss. At present, drinking sloe gin from 2005.  :P

(NB... Method developed over 20+ years of making and drinking sloe gin, sloe genever, sloe vodka etc.)  ;D

PS And yes, seconding Pumkinlover: the gin'll be fine.

[telboy]

Hi All,
Agree with all previous posts.
I like the idea of freezing rather than 'pricking', time saver that!
Bottled mine a couple of weeks ago, the berries are smaller than usual this year but were ripe(none last year!)
I can't keep it as long as you triffid, I strain the juice through a pair of the missus' tights in January, destone (pain!)
& cover in choc.
Drink what's left!

[pumkinlover]

To prick easily and quickly i use a honey "decapping fork" however i did not have to buy it specially as we used to have bees. the fork is about 2.5" wide and is  row of extremly sharp pins. dangerous in the wrong hands!

I read that other people use coffee filter papers but i must have used the wrong sort as they just blocked up or teared - :(

[Toadspawn]

I used blueberries a few years ago. I think it worked OK because the liquid was a nice pink colour, fairly thick and had none of the gin taste and the flavour was acceptible. I think I used half a bottle of gin and filled it up with blueberries.

[Jeannine]

Blackcurrants would be my first choice, mm XX Jeannine

[telboy]

Jeannine,

Don't you have sloes in the 'boondocks'?
 ::)

[Paulines7]

Thanks for you replies.

It's finding the sloes that I have problems with.  We have a lot of trees lining our paddock and I get blossom but there is never any fruit.  I wonder if the birds strip them all off. 

Now I always get a glut of blackcurrants so that may be a good alternative as long as it doesn't taste like blackcurrant cordial.  I had rather too many rum and blacks when I was about 17 and was very sick.  I can't stand the smell of blackcurrant cordial since then though I love blackcurrants.   ;D

[jennym]

Raspberries and blackberries can be used instead, they work well with gin too,

[Paulines7]

Thank you Jenny.  We have just bought some more raspberry canes so should have a good crop next year.  We have bought some more Autumn type as they are far more successful here than the summer fruiting varieties.  Maybe it is something to do with living on a hillside exposed to the winds!

Has anyone ever used redcurrants with gin please?  I always have a glut and far more than I can use.

[jennym]

Good grief, yes I've tried redcurrants with gin. Makes me sound like a wino. honest I'm not. It tasted horrible, too tart for me. I'd imagine you could juice them to use with other sweeter juices,
I use redcurrants instead of lemons. Well, redcurrant juice anyhow. Either use the juicer and freeze little blocks of it, or microwave til the juice flows and strain through a sieve.
There's a sort of chutney/cumberland sauce type of thing I do, can't find recipe at present, but it's redcurrants, shallots, mustard with sugar and vinegar and maybe some other things. It's pretty good.