Gins

[Paulines7]

I have just bottled up my sloe gin from 2011 and it is superb.  I didn't take the sloes out until yesterday when I was filtering it and I tasted one or two of them.  They were rather nice.  Has anyone ever used these left-over sloes in a Christmas cake or pudding?  I put mine in the compost bin but am wondering whether I could have used them. 

I have also been thinking about making orange gin and would be grateful for a feedback on the likely end result.  Will it be a bit like Cointreau or Grand Marnier?

[Paulines7]

[louise stella]

Silly you !!!!  THey go perfect in cakes - or a nice crumble!

[goodlife]

....or sit down front of telly with bowl of NICE ice cream and pile lot of the sloes on top of it.
You will soon get through them...find youself enjoying the boring repeats 

Now that you remimded me...I've got bottle of that stuff tucked away as well..and its made 2010..and the damsons are still in!

[Duke Ellington]

Orange gin takes about three years to mature because you use the peel only.
I haven't made it myself but I am thinking of making rhubarb gin or vodka next year.

Duke

[grannyjanny]

It's threads like this one that make me wish I could have an occasional tipple .

[Paulines7]

Orange gin takes about three years to mature because you use the peel only.
I haven't made it myself but I am thinking of making rhubarb gin or vodka next year.
Duke

THREE YEARS!!  I think I will give it a miss then.  Waiting for one year is long enough!  Perhaps I will try some rhubarb or raspberry gin instead.   

[gazza1960]

Thanks so much for the reminder Paulines7,ive just rummaged in the cupboard and found our 2010 Sloe gin with fruits still in and Blackberry Brandy
....both fruits will find there way onto our Christmas Day Pudding bowls at some stage.....the only straining  we do is when the booooze gets poured in the glasses.....



Gazza

[Kleftiwallah]

Cut away the flesh from the sloes,  melt some decent dark chocolate over a pan of water, whisk up some double cream. 

Combine all the ingredients and set aside to chill (Gawd, I sound like that Nigella woman)

Take a teaspoonfull and roll quickly in your hands then pop into chocolate hundreds and thousands or cocoa powder to coat.  Can be nicely presented in small cake cases.

Watch the vicar go wobbling off on his bicycle after a few of those


Cheers,   Tony.

[Paulines7]

Now I am really disappointed that I threw my sloes in the compost bin!  I haven't had any sloes on the trees this year either so don't have any gin brewing for next year.   

[ACE]

All our alcoholic fruit goes better into trifles or those lovely spongy flan and jelly things. I have a rumtoft barrel which all the spare  plums, cherries, pears, kiwis, fruits from the hedge and peaches go into. The liquer is too sweet for me but the trifles are fantastic.

[goodlife]

mmm...boozy trifle..thanks ACE!..that also brought something else into my mind.. 'boozy' bread and butter pudding..

[pg]

Made some Seville Orange gin by infusing left-over peel into half a bottle of ancient stuff. I didn't leave it for 3yrs rather about 6weeks. Result was very marmaladey. Which as I like this flavour was great. I think if it had been infused for 3yrs it'd probably take the roof of your mouth off as all the bitter substances from the pith would have dissolved into goodness what primary molecules. My suggestion - have a go!

[peanuts]

One of our favourite home-made wines used to be 'marmalade' wine, made with  whole Seville oranges.
All this reminds me of something we do for Christmas -  '44'.  Start with 1 large orange, make 44 holes in it.  Insert 44 coffee beans. Put in large jar (I use an old glass sweet jar), with 44 sugar lumps, and 1 litre of clear eau de vie (alcohol for fruit which we can buy in France).  Leave for 44 days, shaking daily.  Then strain, and drink for Christmas - you   might just be in time!