Sloe Gin

[tim]

With all good intent...........but the thought of feeding 16 over Christmas & double figures, on & off, well into the New Year, brings pictures of sticky fingers & floors during decanting.

So - it's done. Never looks as much without the fruit in, does it!!
The paler one is the plum. = Tim

[tim]

[Doris_Pinks]

YUM Tim!  Wish we could still get the big glass sweet jars...so handy for making sloe gin!

[Mrs Ava]

Sloe gin decanted and bottled today - wow it is good!  Sloes then boiled with an apple for good measure and a slug of water, mushed up, and are now straining through a jam bag to see how Sloe Gin Jelly tastes on my morning toast!  :P

[tim]

Tasted one of mine  - yuck! - dryly bitter - so binned them.

Just thought - we used the cheapest gin we could find. I reckon that if we had afforded Beefeaters, or similar, it would have been much nicer?? = Tim

[Mrs Ava]

The sloes are bitter, but with the added sugar...well...nothing to loose really by having a go.

I used average priced gin, Sainsburys had sold out of their cheapest.  Last year I used bargain bucket gin, and my gramps was convinced it was 'Gordens', so I think it is down to personal taste.  The taste of sloes in this years brew is much more powerful than last year....must have gotten more sloes in this time round.  Going to bottle the damson gin this afternoon!  ;D

[Doris_Pinks]

I always use the cheapest gin I can find, and is someone is visiting the continent, then thats where it comes from! I honestly can't tell teh difference, especially after a couple of glasses! ;) DP

[tim]

Much prefer damson, but the tree failed this year. = Tim

[Mrs Ava]

The damson is heavenly, much more cherry like in flavour.  Had to have a wee glass whilst bottling.

[Andy H]

Oh shut up you lot! Read through your comments and thought I had better see what you were on about and go try the sloe gin :D

It is soooooooo nice! I was determined to WAIT till new year but you lot have just made me drink some :P

Real tang that hits the back of the throat and then follows the real warm feeling somewhere down lower :o

Should I just pour out of bottle carefully or use tea strainer? or mash up the sloes in bottle and then strain?

It doesn`t taste like alchohol!!! Fruit drink!!!
Thats gonna be interesting the next day!

[Mrs Ava]

Last year I strained mine through a seive, but ended up with a layer of sludge at the bottom of the bottom, and not wanting to waste a precious drop, had to be very gentle when I poured the last, slightly gritty tasting glass.  This time the sloes were passed through a double thickness of muslin for a wonderful clear potion.  The damsons I was more vigourous with as I wanted max flavour, so some of those were squeeze and squeezed, not all, just a handful or 2.  Then the liquid was passed twice through the muslin, amazing how much gunk I was left with even after the 2nd pass, but again, a perfectly clear and aboslutely amazingly delicious drink!

[Bannerdown]

Our best Sloe Gin was made from sloes collected from the canal bank (non towpath side) very near Bosworth Field (as in battle of), maybe that's why it had so much body!  All the best for 2005 everyone.  Cheers, Tony. :)

[tim]

WHY??

Because the 2 elder granddaughters arrive tomorrow, & they have a reputation!! = Tim

[Jesse]

Just finished off making my sloe gin today and sitting down to a glass now. It is lovely, has a cherry flavour. I made one bottle as a trial and husband decided to make a half bottle with the leftover gin, but be obviously didn't wash the sloes properly because I spotted a tiny but rather pickled looking worm floating around inside. Eeeuuuww! I won't be drinking any from the second bottle, now should I tell him or just keep smugly quiet.  :D

[Andy H]

Keep it quiet and drink yours,you will have more while he drinks his!!! Tis only a bug/worm afterall.

Enjoy.............. :P

[Doris_Pinks]

In Tequilla they put a worm in deliberately for you to eat when the bottle is finished! :o  Mind you after a bottle of Tequilla I would probably eat it too! :-\

[derbex]

Not that I'm really disorganised -but I've just put the sloes (from freezer) and suger into the gin. Still it should be good by Xmas  ;D

[Mrs Ava]

yum.......hic............yum...............hic..........
Thought it was about time I tried a dash tonight.  Me oh my, tis a great thing plundering the hedgerows to make such a nectar.  Tis sublime and I am sitting here feeling very warm inside.  Roll on the snow and siberian winds, we are not afraid!

[Doris_Pinks]

  ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D

[Bel]

Hi guys....I like to prick mine....and add a few cloves or some ginger....mmmmmmmmmmmm....time to taste mine and see if it is developing well!!!

I am so happy to have found this forum....I have just taken on an allotment that hasn't been worked for 5 years!!!!.....looking forward to the exercise :P

[Doris_Pinks]

Buy radox Bel!!