Sloes

[Tadpoletoatoad]

I've found an amazing amount of sloes growing nearby. How do I know when they are ready to pick to make sloe gin?

Also, anybody know where the cheapest gin is to buy for said sloe gin? Thanks!

You are supposed to pick them after the first frost. But you could pick them now and freeze them before you use them.
We use ASDA gin.

Supposedly at first frost. I'm picking approx mid October as we do every year (sloe gin will be ready in time for Christmas easily then)

Have you seen the food thread in the Christmas topic. A few people making sloe gin, amongst other things, there.

I'll be picking the sloes in mid October for next years slow gin. It needs longer than a couple of months...

at first frost. All the bushes round here have been stripped bare already, greedy beggars.

Any old cheap gin will do. By the time you've soaked the fruit in it and filled it with sugar it won't matter.

A couple of months does the job well enough. It is the minimum amount of time needed, however. I'm using the guidelines from one of my foraging books.
A few of us doing it over here

Christmas Luxury Larder thread challenge here

Thank you everyone. I thought the first frost was more to do with ensuring the skins were soft enough and you could skip that bit by sticking them in the freezer?? Or is it a good guide for readiness as well? Will deg look at the luxury larder thread.

Anyone with any ideas of what I can do with vodka? Not a huge fan on its own. But I've got a few bottles in the cupboard.

You can stick any fruit in vodka raspberries are nice. Also peaches.

They're already very rope and soft round here (Herts), will be another fortnight perhaps if in the far North. I just bashed mine about a bit with a hammer to split them. Don't use the cheapest nasty gin, no amount of sugar or flavour will make it pleasant, but a supermarket own will be fine.

For vodka try blackberry and vanilla, it's luscious! Pound of blackberries to 4-8oz sugar to a pint of vodka, and three vanilla pods, spilt and scraped. If you can't get good pods then use a good few tablespoons of a good extract. Steep for eight weeks only and then strain.

if they feel soft when you squeeze them, they are ripe. The first frost frequently does not happen until December (south east), by which time there will be no sloes worth picking. Putting them in the freezer does not simulate a frost, by the way, it just bursts their skins so you don't have to prick them, see here www.sloe.biz/pip/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=193

For pricking sloes/damsons, I use one of those hairbrush type things made with nails that flower arrangers use. Just lay them all out flat on a table and roll the flower arranging thingy all over them. Very quick.

Another vote for blackberry gin or vodka. Make exactly the same way - and it is really lovely. Much easier to find where I am than sloes.