Isn't this a grand sight after last years dismal showing? I'm delighted to see so many around. Funny old thing nature. Never really thought about them "failing" till last year
Red
The return of the sloe
- Thread starter British Red
- Start date
Isn't this a grand sight after last years dismal showing? I'm delighted to see so many around. Funny old thing nature. Never really thought about them "failing" till last year
Red
I noticed some too last weekend (powdery blue on the outside, but still green and hard under the powder) and was very surprised to see them so early in the year; I didn't realize that last year's crop (my first sloe harvest) was particularly bad.
They're quite patchy round here, lots on some bushes (usually where you can't get at them!) not so many on others.
Seen some nice damsons too, but they still need a couple of weeks.
Dave
Seen some nice damsons too, but they still need a couple of weeks.
Dave
you sod, i've not seen any on the local blackthorns and i've been keeping a close eye on em!
jelous as hell now
jelous as hell now
I am ready with about a gallon of gin, but they are waaaay behind where they should be. As we drank the last of our sloe gin the Christmas before last, I'm getting rather impatient for this crop to come good.
Ditto.
But will the gin last until the sloes appear? There's nothing round Poole yet - hopefully, Glasgow/Dunbartonshire will yield a bumper crop. Toddy!
We spent ages collecting whinberries last week - 7 people, 1½ hours collecting, to get enough to make one very small pie, but it was a very nice pie.
I'm sure I've seen some sloe-type berry's round my way but haven't got round to properly ID'ing them....
<sloe-pes off with camera in hand>
<sloe-pes off with camera in hand>
Im going to make some Sloe Vodka this year. I have heard it is scrummy!
I have also heard that its best to wait for the first frost before gathering Sloes - do you all concur??
cheers
I have also heard that its best to wait for the first frost before gathering Sloes - do you all concur??
cheers
Cheers - thats a new word on me
An artificial frost is easy bushcraftbob - bung em in the freezer for a night
It does pay to wait for them to ripen and the frost seem to break them open a bit - but freezing sorts that
Red
Didnt think o that!
Im going to gather some in a few weeks me thinks, as soon as i've done my hawthorn berry and crab apple fruit leather experiment
Im going to gather some in a few weeks me thinks, as soon as i've done my hawthorn berry and crab apple fruit leather experiment
If'n you wait that long, you'll miss out as they will all be gone. Pick them and then freeze them. Pick late in September ready for next summer,
I have a secret patch in west lothian if you're interested. last year I made two demi johns of sloe gin and I still have some left in the freezer. They won't be ready for picking until october though.
That does sound good, though my sloe gin was lovely last year. A bit of both this year perhaps?
I've often wondered if the "first frost" thing is more to do with ripening than the process of freezing. As I said, I harvested my first lot in late October last year, mainly because I didn't get my a**e in gear earlier. Two month brewing time was no problem whatsoever for the sloe gin though.
