Sloe gin recipes...

[Haughton Honey]

Does anyone have any proven sloe gin recipes as I'm about to go a picking.........?!

Many thanks

 

[Headnavigator]

Pound of pricked sloes (or frozen and thawed again to save the effort), half a pound of sugar, litre of gin. Sorry for imp/metric mix but they won't sell gin in imp measures any more. Put into a demijohn, agitate daily for a week or three, leave for as long as you like, strain, bottle, hide it and don't tell anyone or you'll suddenly have more friends than you realised. Most of mine gets spirited out of the house by my adult sons.
I have never seen such beautiful fat sloes as we have here this year.
Tastes pretty much like Benylin cough mixture to me, much prefer quince vodka.

 

[mignon]

Quince vodka sounds a wee bit yummy, I had been wondering about the possibilities of vodka + quinces. Do you make it to the same principle as sloe/damson gin/vodka? just fruit, spirit + sugar?
Many thanks Sarah

 

[Erichalfbee]

No weight measurement just volume
Half a jar....any size you like....of sloes, add sugar and shake till it all slips into the gaps add gin to top. Keep dark till Christmas, decant and drink
Freeze and thaw sloes so you don't have the bother of pricking.
Make more than you need as it really does improve with age.
I have some 15 years old and it is wonderful
PS Damson gin is much nicer in taste and colour.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Pound of pricked sloes (or frozen and thawed again to save the effort), half a pound of sugar, litre of gin. Sorry for imp/metric mix but they won't sell gin in imp measures any more. Put into a demijohn, agitate daily for a week or three, leave for as long as you like, strain, bottle, hide it and don't tell anyone or you'll suddenly have more friends than you realised. Most of mine gets spirited out of the house by my adult sons.
I have never seen such beautiful fat sloes as we have here this year.
Tastes pretty much like Benylin cough mixture to me, much prefer quince vodka.

You can increase the volume of sloes and sugar if you like, i go for more like pound and a half to 2 pounds of sloes and slightly more sugar (but it depends how dry you want it, freeze the sloes and while still frozen put the sugar and gin on top - the gin hitting the sloes splits the skins and saves you pricking them, just going to decant last years sloes next week, I'm a bit busy but i hope to pick my sloes this weekend as well (i'm down to my last litre of 2001 vintage so i'll have to broach one of the younger vintages this shooting season, I've got a few gallons stashed in the attic!)

 

[Headnavigator]

Quince vodka sounds a wee bit yummy, I had been wondering about the possibilities of vodka + quinces. Do you make it to the same principle as sloe/damson gin/vodka? just fruit, spirit + sugar?
Many thanks Sarah

Yes, grate the quinces, and off you go. The first time we made it we ended up with luminous pink battery acid/paint stripper, and shoved the full demijohn out of sight to dispose of later. Some 5 yrs later we rediscovered it and had a taste, now golden brown and out of this world, a bit like apple-y sherry; just started this year's batch. Think the first lot may have been japonica quinces, now using ordinary culinary quinces. Did a small batch of quince jelly yesterday, will now do a BIG batch later on this week!
Good Luck!

 

[Haughton Honey]

Thank you very much folks!

 

[dclewis]

Similar to others and all depends on how sweet you like your sloe gin but for me the following works well.

First don't pick your sloes until there has been a good frost. That way you know they are going to be ripe.

Take 1 empty gin bottle, fill 1/3rd with washed, pricked sloes (hadn't heard the freeze trick to split skins, will have to try this, as the pricking is time consuming and if attention not paid can be painful), 1/3rd with gran sugar then fill with gin and shake to disolve the sugar. Leave in dark cupboard until after Christmas, shaking bottle when you remember. After 3 months ready to drink.

 

[oliver90owner]

Take 1 empty gin bottle,

Little wonder someone was asking how to stop it being consumed very quickly!

Delete '1 empty gin bottle' and insert 'several empty demi-johns'.

Should last well into the new year, then!

RAB (who hasn't touched last year's demi-john(s) yet and is still catching up from about 2006, even though there are several empty bottles awaiting refill!)

 

[stubee]

reading this thrad reminded me I made some sloe gin last year. where I swaped the sugar for honey. will have to get bottle out and have a try it.

 

[Pete D]

Made some Sloe gin the last few years and gradually backed off the amount of sugar as it was a bit to sweet / syrupy for my taste.
Been experimenting since and found the ladies love Sloe vodka, my Dad loves Sloe brandy (takes out the harshness of cheapo stuff), my brother is into Sloe ouzo (packs a punch) but most of all......................................
my mum likes Horseraddish vodka....... great for her bloody mary's !

My tip for the horseraddish is leave a nice peeled root in soak for a month, or if your are in a hurry grate it and leave it for just a weekend.................but get someone else to grate it cos it kills ya

enjoy responsibly of course

Pete D

 

[beeatshellards]

I too make sloe gin but I prick the skins by putting in a bowl and hitting them with a stiff wire brush , so much easier

 

[johnmcc]

I make a litre of sloe gin every year, but I usually make two or three litres of bullace gin (small wild plums) as well, since we have two bullace trees in the garden. I've gradually cut the amount of sugar to about 1/3 of the weight of fruit as I don't like it too syrupy.

The most popular one I make, however, is raspberry gin. My grown up sons nick all I can make . . . . at least, that which my Wife hasn't got at first.

 

[aberreef]

I never follow much of a recipe for the sloe gin, just throw it together and hope for the best ( never failed yet ). I also make Sloe vodka and rum. The rum is absolutely fantastic

 

[isc26]

Could always try sloe vodka