Now, there are many methods for making sloe gin - do you prick with a fork, freeze, or wait until after the first frost and hope that they haven't all gone? The Cottage Smallholder (interesting blog with lots of recipes from people who clearly have more of an idea what they're talking about than me) carried out an experiment to see which method worked the best. Her results are here.
I had to take sloes when I could get them last weekend (none round here really), so it was the second best method for us - freezing for a few days. And here's what I did:
Sloe gin
Ingredients:
75cl gin (I bought a couple of litres of Sainsbury's standard gin. I hear varying reports on whether the quality of the gin makes a difference, so I've gone one step up from the Basics range, but not all the way to Gordon's)
1lb sloes
6oz granulated sugar
Method:
1) Don't panic too much about the quantities. But put about a pound of sloes into sterile bottles (wide necked enough to fit sloes into, around a litre in size), add about 6oz of sugar, and top up with around 75cl of gin.
2) Shake the bottle (seal it first!) every day for a week or two, then store in a cool dark place for at least a couple of months. Ideally you leave it for around six months, strain and rebottle, but I expect we'll give in and have some at Christmas.
I had to take sloes when I could get them last weekend (none round here really), so it was the second best method for us - freezing for a few days. And here's what I did:
Sloe gin
Ingredients:
75cl gin (I bought a couple of litres of Sainsbury's standard gin. I hear varying reports on whether the quality of the gin makes a difference, so I've gone one step up from the Basics range, but not all the way to Gordon's)
1lb sloes
6oz granulated sugar
Method:
1) Don't panic too much about the quantities. But put about a pound of sloes into sterile bottles (wide necked enough to fit sloes into, around a litre in size), add about 6oz of sugar, and top up with around 75cl of gin.
2) Shake the bottle (seal it first!) every day for a week or two, then store in a cool dark place for at least a couple of months. Ideally you leave it for around six months, strain and rebottle, but I expect we'll give in and have some at Christmas.
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