Sloe Gin

[queenbee]

Had a taste of sloe gin yesterday at my brother in laws house. Wow! it was fantastic nearly knocked my head off. Have any on you lotties ever made this and if so what proportions of sugar, gin and sloes. I know sloes are seasonal () but could you use any other fruit that would be equally as nice. The gin was given to him as a present, but he had picked the sloes himself.

[queenbee]

[gwynleg]

Hi Queenbee - I havent ever made sloe gin - havent ever found the sloes, but I have made a variety of other stuff!! Raspberry/blackberry or cherry vodka is fab - half to three quarter fill a big kilner type jar with the fruit and then fill with vodka (or other alcohol of choice). Over next 3 months ish shake jar from time to time. After this time make sugar water (I just throw some sugar into water and boil till disolved). Then the best bit - put a little of the sugar water into the vodka and taste! If not yet sweet/tasty enough add a little more sugar water and taste again. And so on!!

[RenishawPhil]

We substitute damsons for sloes and had it this week and it was beutuful!!

[pumkinlover]

12 oz sloes, 6 oz sugar, bottle gin (750ml)
Use soft sloes and prick the sloes or put in freezer first. Put all in  sweet jar or similar  and stir or shake weekly for a couple of months. exact quantities can be flexible but  give it time to mature. Strain off the liquid, and people use the sloes in sweets or chocolate afterwards. I find a coffee filter paper useful to clear any sediment that sometimes develops. enjoy!

[brownowl23]

 made it this year along with bullace gin.

I have to admit I painstakingly removed the stones afterwards and added all the soaked sloes and bullaces to my mincemeat, my mince pies are scrummy and the sloe gin is well ...... hic!

[queenbee]

Thanks for all your replies for sloe gin, I will certainly try the other fruits, I like the idea of reusing the fruit for other things, I think I might just put cream on them, heaven, is it true that by adding sugar the alcohol content is increased?

[saddad]

The fruit can also be coated in chocolate... they are called "dog turds" here... keep them in the fridge or the alcohol causes a bloom on the chocolate... they don't usually last long...  :-[

[Obelixx]

I made damson gin several years ago and it just got better and better as it matured.   Two years ago, after a glut, I made blackcurrantbrandy along with blackcurrant vinegar and spiced jelly.   

Last month I was given two sloe shrubs and have planted them in a spot where I'll see the spring blossom from my kitchen window.  It's supposed to be fabulous.  Then, with any luck, I'll be making proper sloe gin next autumn.

[Jayb]

This year my used sloe gin sloes went in a pot to make apple and sloe-gin jelly. Nice flavour and a lovely delicate pink colour, great for Christmas pressies.

[non-stick]

Haven't got round to making any again this year - doh. We tend to freeze ours first (saves all that procking) and then use our tried and trusted recipe of some sloes, some sugar and some gin. Leave to fester for about 3 months and then take off the fruit and bottle. Found it gets better and better with age.

Made plum rum once - that was nice

[telboy]

queenbee,
To answer your question, adding sugar will not increase the alcohol content - only the sweetness.

[1066]

winter wouldn't be winter without sloe gin  :)
It seemed like a bumper crop this year, I have a couple of bags in the freezer which are intended for some sloe jelly/jam. In the meantime we've refreshed our stocks of sloe gin and will start working our way through it. I do find the longer you can leave it the better it tastes, sort of richer and deeper in flavour.

[gazza1960]

These 2 are 3 years old and just sit atop me freeza gathering strength"I hope",tried one at christmas and it was
smooooth as silk, O and I always leave the fruits in the bottles and extract em and use with ice cream.

Gazza

[chriscross1966]

I go with 1lb of sloes and 6oz of sugar in a 2-pint milk plastic bottle, filled to within an inch of the top with gin...the same recipe but with brandy and blackberries makes a good one too...

chrisc