One annual activity that we never miss is sloe berry picking!! Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn tree and are the vital ingredient for Sloe Gin :)
It is one of my very favourite tipples.. and here's how you can make some:
You'll need:
approx. 500g sloe berries (if you can't find sloes, you can substitute blackberries or damsons)
1litre gin
350g sugar
Place the berries in the freezer for 24 hours, then bash them with a rolling pin (inside of a plastic bag!) to break the skins a little. Put the berries into a demi john or large mason jar
Add the sugar, and then the gin
Shake the bottle well to mix it all together. Cover the top with a bung or lid. Place somewhere cool and dark, leave for around 8 weeks, shaking every couple of days.
The hardest part is waiting for it to be ready... but I promise it is worth the wait :)
yum. my mum has been making sloe gin for the last few years and it is delicious. i have some of hers in the cupboard from last year. do you do anything with the berries after? i was listening to the radio the other day and they were making jam.... (kinda of a ginny jam i guess!)
ReplyDeleteso good! i love gin so i may have to give this a whirl.
ReplyDeleteZoe x