Sloe, Sloe, Pick Pick, Sloe?

[simon john]

Sorry, with Strictly back on the telly I couldn't resist the dancing reference!

We managed to pick 3.5 kilos of blackberries yesterday, so they're being turned into 2 gallons of wine - nice! I noticed that there are loads and loads of Sloes around. So, I cracked open a bottle of last year's Sloe wine to see if what it was like and it was not bad, so I think I'll have a crack at that again. I'm NOT making anymore Sloe gin - Yukk!

Loads of Hawberries and Rosehips for later - but not many Elderberries around our local fields, also found a very nice crab apple tree I never knew was there.

After all that waffle, my question is 'When do YOU pick your Sloes?' - some folks say wait for the frost (might not happen - fingers crossed!).

Cheers

Simon

 

[Sean_Mc]

You could pick them now and freeze them for 24 hours.

The ones around here are nice and juicy, been a very good year for fruit

 

[Hawks]

I've already picked, frozen and now used my sloes.. :thumb:

 

[Bozuit]

3.5kg blackberries... I'm very jealous. The only ones I could find this year were spread quite thin so it takes a few hours for just 1kg.

October should be fine. I picked mine a few days ago. You're very wrong about sloe gin though, I'm afraid. How can you not like it? :P

As an aside, I'm not sure if that's how it was meant or not, but freezing is not a substitute for the "first frost" tradition as that's simply a guide as to when they're most ripe. Freezing does of course help if you want to use them for gin or wine though.

 

[Hawks]

I freeze to save pricking, not sure if first frost makes a difference as I've never waited that long to pick... :whistle: I like to be drinking sloe gin by the first frost ( but then I do live on the south coast, so it is later )

 

[Sean_Mc]

If there squidgy I pick
Agree with H, frost for helps break the skin, so instead of forking about I just bung em in the freeezer

 

[simon john]

Thanks Gents!

I'm off to pick 'em tomorrow. Maybe I'll freeze 'em but I quite enjoy stabbing the little blighters!

You're very wrong about sloe gin though, I'm afraid. How can you not like it?

Easy I put in my gob and say 'Yukk tastes like perfume!' - and it's not just my own Sloe gin, other folks have given me some of theirs - I hope they're not members here 'cos as a perfect gent I always say how smashing theirs tastes!

Cheers

Simon