Sloe Gin recipes and help required

[johnnytheboy]

Hi There,

I have seen a few sloes about now they are starting to look like they will be perfect for picking soon.

Now i know slow gin requires sloes gin and sugar, but when i read up there are a million different ways of combining the three, plus some recipes with added bits and bobs, almonds, cinnamon sticks etc.

But what i was wondering, could you guys recomend the way you make your sloe gin? whats your recipe? I'm gonna order some preserving jars and if i could get recipes it will give me a project to sample them over the winter to see what is my fav.

Anytips on where to get jars?

 

[ged]

Try it several ways, then you can do a side-by-side test one evening.

IMO if there's enough sugar any of the recipes will do, but we always use vodka instead of gin. I'm not big on the additives like cinnamon, but that's a personal thing and up to you. I prefer plain old blackberry vodka, the 2006 was superb!

You don't really need preserving jars, the alcohol will preserve it. We just use demijohns.

 

[Toddy]

Any bottle or jar will do fine. Just so long as it seals enough to stop the alcohol evaporating.

It takes a helluva lot of gin to fill a demijohn though

Seriously, I ususally just use whatever bottle/jar I've got to hand.
The basic recipe is just to pick over and clean off the fruits. They need their skins opened up a bit in some way or other; you can use a fork, a grater, a wire brush, or just put them into the freezer for a few days before you use them.
Then half fill whatever container you're going to use with the fruits.
I just cover with sugar (any kind, though everybody has their own favourite kind and more or less sugar) and then almost fill the bottle/jar with whichever booze I've chosen.
Screw the cap on tightly and give it all a good shoogle.
Shake it vigorously everytime you mind for the next week or so, the sugar should all dissolve in the alcohol and the colour of the fruits come out. Put it away in a cupboard and once a week or so, give it a good shake.
By Christmas it ought to be strainable, though if you forget and leave it longer, it'll do no harm.

That's it really, dead simple

My recipe ? I use soft brown sugar and I add a couple of tablespoonsful of the syrup from the stem ginger jar when I finally bottle it

cheers,
M

 

[antzy]

wait until the first frost though - lots about but not ready yet

 

[HeltorChasca]

...give it all a good shoogle....

Lovely terminology and an essential part of the process. I may steal this beauty of a word. With your permission of course. I also like the wire brush pricking method. Takes too long with a pin.........hc

 

[John Fenna]

I use old coffee jars and seal them up tight with insulation tape around the lid /jar join.
The recipe I use for both my sloe gin and blackberry vodka is the same ....roughly half fill the jar with fruit, add the half the weight of sugar as there is weight of fruit (that is - if it takes 1/2 a pound of fruit to half fill the jar add 1/4 lb of sugar) fill to near but not right to the top of the jar with your chosen booze (use cheap stuff as the fruit hides the flavour of the gin/vodka etc that you use) seal into the jar to avoid evaporation loss. Shake once a day until all the sugar is disolved then forget about them for a minimum of 3 months - longer if you can!
Strain through a jelly bag and then strain again through a finer cloth (I use parachute nylon....) to remove finer sediments and bottle.
Not too many complaints so far!

 

[johnnytheboy]

wait until the first frost though - lots about but not ready yet

When do you get your first frost in dorset? i dont think it will be long before we get ours, its been cauld in the mornings up here!!!

 

[wattsy]

the most important thing is not to use nice booze i almost cried seeing my nan use a botlle of remy martin xo cognac for blackberry brandy. the own brand stuff will do just as well and leave's your wallet heavier

 

[Tadpole]

Sloes are very useful and can be reused to make other drinks
600grms Sloes
300grms sugar
Couple almonds (optional)
Two litre bottle (empty)
1.5 litre budget gin
The sloes will with a bit of help fit through the neck of a two litre water bottle (plastic)
Pour in the sugar and the sloes top up with gin; add almonds, leaving an inch or so of air at the top of the bottles. Shake the bottles to dissolve the sugar.
Shake once a day for a week, once a week for a month, every month for three months. Leave for six months (total of Nine months) to settle and clear and then pour out gently so as not to disturb the sediment and strain the gin into clean glass bottles. Store in the dark until ready for drinking (a year is about all I ever manage)
Leave the sloes and sediment in the bottles and top up with cider, and 100grms of sugar. Shake until all the sugar has dissolved. Store in a dark place, shaking occasionally. After three months decant “slider” into glass bottles (this is the reason I use plastic bottles) cut off the top and either use the sloes for sloe blackberry and apple crumble, or make sloe and blackberry chutney (for the chutney you have to remove the stones, but having been soaked in gin/cider for over a years they shed their stones and their skins easy enough).

 

[Toddy]

Finally
A decent use for those gin soaked sloes

Cheers Stu

Mary

 

[MartiniDave]

Toddy,

After the sloe gin, I usually put a bottle of vodka in with the gin soaked sloes add sugar and leave for 6 months or so, and I've heard but not tried that after the vodka you can get a third hit by using cider.

Dave

 

[antzy]

When do you get your first frost in dorset? i dont think it will be long before we get ours, its been cauld in the mornings up here!!!

been cold on clear nights, but may not be a while . I'm half a mile from the sea so that helps.

Been a good year for soft fruit down here. Out collecting mushrooms yesterday - theyre out a plenty too.

 

[knifefan]

Generally the more sugar - the sweeter & thicker the end result will be. Also u can use the cheapest gin/vodka !!! The worst bit is pricking the sloes, some people prefer to freeze them the defrost and it splits the skins = i prefer to stik a fork in 'em

 

[Thoth]

If I want a very 'thick' Sloe Gin I add a little glycerin. You can buy it for food use (used in 'royal' icing I think) from Boots the Chemist etc. It gives the oily texture that clings to the glass like commercially produced liqueurs. Cheers, Steve

 

[IanM]

The testing is all important.

You sip a small glass every day to assess its quality.

Whenit is all gone it is now ready to drink.

 

[British Red]

It takes a helluva lot of gin to fill a demijohn though

About 3 litres once you have fruit in and leave shuggle room

I hope thats not a lot....really I do (otherwise the 5 demijohns I have on the go might seem excessive )

 

[Toddy]

"Hic ! "

You make a lot to give as gifts though BR, all I make is enough to fill the quaich a couple of times, and three or four hipflasks for presents. A couple of bottles does fine for that.

It's very pleasant to sip, but I really am not much of a drinker (my Doc has me down as a non drinker) No objections to anyone else, iimmc, I just never seemed to feel I needed to be having a drink to enjoy myself. I'm just as happy with a good cup of tea tbh. I like having some available to offer others though.

Five demijohns ? I struggle trying to fit the stuff I've got in my pantry as it is

cheers,
M

 

[gregorach]

About 3 litres once you have fruit in and leave shuggle room

I hope thats not a lot....really I do (otherwise the 5 demijohns I have on the go might seem excessive )

Since it's a once a year thing, that doesn't seem like enough. But then, I make 40 pints of beer every other week.

 

[British Red]

Aaah the joys of having out buildings. I have converted the old "wash house" here into a still room. Currently has 8- pints of beer bottle conditioning, another 80 brewing, 3 demijohns of elderberry wine and 5 of various fruit spirits on the go. Shortly to be joined by a couple of 5 gallon wine batches and 40 pints of ginger beer

As you say though that, the soap, the pickles and chutneys are my contribution to the local barter economy. We had a ton pallet delivered today but the large pallet artic couldn't make it up the drive. Nice neighbour used the fork blades on his tractor to move it into location for me - and gave me a dozen eggs whilst he was at it. He earned his "lunchtime livener"

So many nice farmers round here - it isn't really barter - just showing appreciation!

Red

 

[Toddy]

I've got four sheds and a greenhouse and I'm still cramped for space

I'm in the midst of a major clear out though. I want rid of at least one shed, and I really would like to see at least a bit of the floor I laid in the loft

I like the barter system, and the Good Things Network; nothing should really go to waste with a little thought
It's the womble again, isn't it ?

Talking of which, totally O.T. but does anyone in the Glasgow area want a big fish tank ? It's empty, clean, but it's up two flights.

cheers,
M