Sloes Question

[Bigfoot]

Hi folks,

I stumbled upon what I think is a stretch of blackthorn, heavy with sloes. However I was surprised to see that the sloes were not as blue as I had expected, they were turning almost a shade of brown and were beginning to get a little bit soft. Is the colour change simply due to the fruit ripening? If that is the case, I assume they are OK to use for sloe gin. I've attached a couple of pics, sorry one is out of focus but I'd be grateful for confirmation that these are OK to use.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

I think that's buckthorn so they arn't sloes.

 

[oldtimer]

I've always been told that sloes need to have been subject to frost before using for sloe gin. If they ripen before, then put them in the freezer for a couple of days. Pesonally, I can't can't stand sloe gin, but I make it most years for friends and family who all say they love my sloe gin. Perhaps they're just all just very polite! All the hedgerow fruit here in Oxfordshire seems odd this year. I'll be interested to hear replies to Bigfoot and hope they'll be more helpful than mine.

 

[Bigfoot]

I think that's buckthorn so they arn't sloes.

I don't think we get buckthorn in Scotland?

 

[blacktimberwolf]

Here's a comparisson, buckthorn ...http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...amnus_frangula.jpg/756px-Rhamnus_frangula.jpg
& the blackthorn..http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...a_sloe_aka_prunus_spinosa_sweden_20050924.jpg

compare the leaves & fruit, which one looks more like your plant ?...

 

[Bigfoot]

Here's a comparisson, buckthorn ...http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...amnus_frangula.jpg/756px-Rhamnus_frangula.jpg
& the blackthorn..http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...a_sloe_aka_prunus_spinosa_sweden_20050924.jpg

compare the leaves & fruit, which one looks more like your plant ?...

Definately looks more like a blackthorn, mate. Thanks for posting those links.

 

[Elines]

I thought the simpleton way to tell was to taste one - if it dries your mouth out its sloe (?) or do both do that

 

[harrisp]

I thought the simpleton way to tell was to taste one - if it dries your mouth out its sloe (?) or do both do that

It does more than dry your mouth, you will know if you have bitten into a sloe

 

[Bigfoot]

I haven't tasted one yet, I was more interested in what was making the colour tinges. I am reasonably sure they are sloes, they are bigger than the buckthorn berries referred to above and are clustered just like any pic of sloes I have seen.

When standing back from the tree, the sloes have a blue hue as expected but when looking closer, there are brown spots on some and indeed some whole sloes have turned a shade of light brown. You can see some in my pics. So, the main question is this simply due to ripening or is it an infection of some kind? I just want to be sure - if no-one has an answer I'll just ditch them

 

[Melonfish]

defo sloe's them, some do go a funny brown colour, we get that a lot up here, still perfectly usable as long as they aren't squishy.
been a flippin dry year this year so berries haven't been the best (see the state of the blackberries) so sloes and damsons have been out early. grab em now and bung in the freezer for a day or so and you're good to use em.

 

[Bigfoot]

Cheers Melonfish, that's helpful. They are in the freezer already

 

[gerry1]

Whereabouts in Scotland are you? Our sloes aren't nearly ready here in Speyside yet. Patiently waiting to make another batch of sloe gin for Christmas....

(ps - no question that they are sloes)

 

[Bigfoot]

I'm in the central belt, mostly in the Glasgow area but often up in Inverness (which is why I didn't put 1 single place for my location ). The sloes were found west of Paisley.

 

[pango]

The sloes here in Fife aren't yet ready for picking. I prefer to leave them until after the first frost anyway. Fortunately for me, few people seem to pick them around here now, so there's always a bounty in winter. There are also what appear to be hybrid sloe/plums, over twice the size of sloes, which I also use for flavouring gin but make a mean plum tart.

The hazels are just ready for picking now, as are a variety of apples in an old overgrown orchard just a mile from me.

Oddly, I found a yellow plum near a ruined farmhouse a few miles away, juicy and sweet. I'm sure it's what the Europeans call mirabella, and am surprised they're flourishing here. They've got bigger thorns than blackthorn and are twice as mean... which gets me wondering if the wood has similar qualities???

Pango.