Sloe Gin day!

[Tim_Crowhurst]

Sloe port, butter, chocolate or truffles, and blackthorn jelly.

 

[Andysbrew]

Sounds a pain to get all the nuts out to make chocolate with them, I make slider, pour 2 litres of westons scrumpy over the gin soaked sloes to make a very boozy barbecue drink in the summer!

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

I've just bottled five 250ml flasks of sloe gin, and tipped the ginned sloes (plus a few pounds more from the freezer, along with brandy, red wine and honey) into three 1.8L jars to become sloe port for Christmas next year (and believe me, stopping myself from opening one of the jars for this Christmas won't be easy!). I still have three more jars of sloe gin in the cupboard, and will alternate the gin and port over the next few years.

I still have some sloes in the freezer, and will probably pick a load more at some point, so sloe butter and truffles look like a definite possibility :thumb:

 

[JonnyD]

whats the advantage of adding 250g per 1.8L of sugar? I've always added 2 Tbsp per DJ!

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

The amount of sugar is mainly personal taste. Some people use a lot more sugar than me, and others use less. 2tbsp per gallon does sound like an unusually small amount though.

 

[Maysie]

This year I am adding the sugar after the sloes have steeped in the gin for a while, which is the first year I have tried doing it that way. It was based on this info here:
http://www.sipsmith.com/blog/articles/h ... t-sloe-gin

I haven't tried any yet, as it wasn't ready for Christmas 2013, so I have left it over to steep for a while longer.
Some of the sloe gin I have tried in the past (made by others) has been way too sickly sweet for my palate due to enthusiastic sugar quantities!

Has anyone else tried adding the sugar afterwards?
Any noticeable difference in flavour?

 

[divingdavey]

I've just bottled five 250ml flasks of sloe gin, and tipped the ginned sloes (plus a few pounds more from the freezer, along with brandy, red wine and honey) into three 1.8L jars to become sloe port for Christmas next year (and believe me, stopping myself from opening one of the jars for this Christmas won't be easy!). I still have three more jars of sloe gin in the cupboard, and will alternate the gin and port over the next few years.

I still have some sloes in the freezer, and will probably pick a load more at some point, so sloe butter and truffles look like a definite possibility :thumb:

This is probably a stupid question..... The wine doesn't spoil having been exposed to the air I take it?

Cheers! :

 

[Tim_Crowhurst]

The amount of alcohol in the mixture should mean that oxidation isn't too much of an issue, however you could divide a campden tablet between the jars just in case.

 

[divingdavey]

Thanks Tim, I'll give that a go

 

[DrD]

I went picking end of September, the sloe gin came out like battery acid. Was excellent with tonic as the sharpness complemented the quinine but alone it was FAR too sharp.

Not quite ripe enough, so... I went back end of October to find a load of fat robins, but no berries left .

Did spot a damson tree though so I'll return next year to pillage it.

 

[Firemanstalker]

I've just bottled five 250ml flasks of sloe gin, and tipped the ginned sloes (plus a few pounds more from the freezer, along with brandy, red wine and honey) into three 1.8L jars to become sloe port for Christmas next year (and believe me, stopping myself from opening one of the jars for this Christmas won't be easy!). I still have three more jars of sloe gin in the cupboard, and will alternate the gin and port over the next few years.

I still have some sloes in the freezer, and will probably pick a load more at some point, so sloe butter and truffles look like a definite possibility :thumb:

Oh wow I just hope next year is good for sloes as they have been out (and flipping picked) very early round us this year. I managed to get about half a pound which are now in the freezer. I have made my very first batch of sloe gin this year using sloes from two years ago kept in my freezer and all I can say is WOW!! I have now added them to some cheap nasty whiskey which I've had for about six years and only ever used it for soaking dried fruit in. Added some sugar and it is looking promising already. The port sounds amazing and will now be on my list.
Can I ask what everyone uses for their bottles please as I am very new to all this and am looking to give out in small kilner size bottles without the kilner price tag :-)

 

[Bragwr]

Made our sloe gin a week and a half ago. About a month earlier than usual. Big fat sloes that started to weep colour in less than 12 hours. Last years were nowhere near as forthcoming with their juice.
2x DJs and 2x 70cl bottles this year.
As for bottling bottles we use flip top bottles. We buy a traditional lemonade that is available sometimes at Aldi and then keep the flip tops for the sloe gin. Personally I also like old whiskey bottles with a cork, just to see the cork take some of the SG colour and for that lovely unkorking sound. For storage I either seal them with insulation tape or wine bottle shrinks if I have any lying around..
We had to control our enthusiasm for picking sloes this year to a limit of 10lbs! Last yead we picked 21lbs which meant over 80 quid in gin! Not good for wallet or liver!