How can you tell when a sloe is ripe.

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phoenix68

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How can you tell when a sloe is ripe and ready for use. I've been out and about today collecting various hedge row fruits.
One of the fruit I've looked at are sloes I want to try making some sloe vodka,one of the things I've been told in the past is you shouldn't pick sloes till after a frost,we don't get many of those down south nowadays so how can I tell they are ready to use the ones I saw today were starting to go soft but apart from that I've got no idea.

Any help would be appreciated Cheers Graham.
 
Chew one.

If you can, they are ready.

If your mouth opens wide involuntarily, your tongue tries to fold itself backwards down your throat and your lips try to distance themselves from your gums, give 'em another month.
 
Moley said:
Chew one.

If you can, they are ready.

If your mouth opens wide involuntarily, your tongue tries to fold itself backwards down your throat and your lips try to distance themselves from your gums, give 'em another month.
:rofl:
What a perfect description Moley :clap:
 
Previous boards I've been on have had limits, they were graphic design boards though so everyone was trying to show off a bit. My gripe was having to scroll through a full screen of signature to see the next post - it'll do for me now though :cheers:
 
And back to sloes ?? not really bothered about Sig's either way, who cares there are to many rules and red tape in this country nowadays why worry about a Sig.
Lets get on with some brewing chill out and have a laugh

Cheers Graham
 
Im a bit of a sloe freak to be honest, i tend to pick some before the frost and some after, if you mix them with blackberries before the frost while they are still a bit sharp it mellows to a lovely wine with a bit f bite very nice.

I use the ones i pick after the frost for Gin and Vodka and even made a syrup from some last year and mixed with a wurzels, that was interesting lol

I have a place to pick them from where i could fillan artic lorry never seen so many in one place in my life!
 
bandit081 said:
.........I have a place to pick them from where i could fillan artic lorry never seen so many in one place in my life!

Yup it's been a good year here as well :thumb: It's a bit of a hike to 'my' bushes but I can get so many off them it's worth the walk :thumb:
a lot of folk up here keep their locations quiet, being the Lake District there's so many visitors who come and pick as well, roadside sloes will be stripped over a weekend at times, however, such is life :roll:
another two or three weeks depending on nighttime temps, which are dropping rapidly here :whistle:
 
Thinking of going out to pick some sloes this afternoon has any one got any Idea if they are ripe yet or am i still to early.

Cheers Graham.
 
I tasted something that looked like a sloe a week ago and it was sweetish but with dark green flesh. Is that a sloe I wonder? Does the flesh go a different colour when fully ripe?
 
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