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Can sloe berries be picked now for sloe gin or do I need to wait later in the year? I am getting mixed messages on the internet and would value the advice of people who make their own. Thanks.

You can make a perfectly serviceable sloe gin from ones at this time of year - I tend to find that if you wait until they have been frosted then a bit more of the flavour transfers in to the gin and it tastes richer - but frankly it's not that much of a difference - and if you wait too long then the birds will have them (or other people will have picked them to make sloe gin first!)

I used a recipe from "Booze for free" which suggested putting the sloes in the freezer for a bit then defrosting, then freezing again ( and maybe repeat a few times) to break the sloes down instead of pricking them. Seemed to work well. It all got drunk! It was about half way through September, but this year everything seems to be so much earlier.

Thank you for your help!

Sloes mostly look to be ripe here too, a few have already started to wrinkle.
I second putting them in the freezer, which splits the skin so you don't need to prick them all. I've found it works well and it's a good way to store any surplus. I've not tried repeatedly refreezing them.

Picked enough for 2 bottles last weekend and will be going back for more this weekend if there is time. A man walking his dog in the field asked me if I was picking blueberries...I was that mean I made him try one.

So naughty 

I picked a small bag full of sloes at the weekend 
They are in the freezer at the moment, but soon to be converted into sloe gin!