Find
out how to make your own sloe gin - here, and also on the sloe.biz
forum.
You only need sloes, sugar and gin. It really is that simple.
The great thing about using
sloes in gin is that they are almost completely
useless for anything else! |
Go to our
sloe.biz forum for tips,
and for answers to your questions |
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no biz like sloe.biz |
Questions? Search for answers
on the FORUM! |
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| The
sloe.biz calendar |
calendar
© brian donnan, sloe.biz |
|
| These calendar notes
are based on Gloucestershire sloes. Expect wide variation
from the warm south to the cold north - and during warmer/cooler
seasons too. |
January |
Celebrate New Year with
your own sloe gin |
February |
Sloe gin and champagne for Valentines
Day |
March
April |
Look out for the emergence of white
blackthorn blossom in otherwise bare hegerows - and make
note to return in the autumn for the sloes. |
| May |
If you haven't done so already, remove
sloes from last year's bottles. There is no benefit from
leaving them in the gin for more than 6 months. Decant
sloe gin and store in cool dark place until required. |
June
July |
Young sloes are very evident on blackthorn
bushes if you look through all the leaves |
| August |
Sloes acquire their typical 'bloom'
and look good - but DO NOT pick yet! Allow more ripening
time for best results |
| September |
Make a bottle or two, but only if
you must! |
| October |
October is probably the best
time to pick your sloes (but can depend on location).Traditionally
you would only pick after the first frosts of the year.
Sloes bottled now can be ready for this Christmas and
New Year |
| November |
Still a good month to make sloe gin,
but a little bit late for this Christmas. |
| December |
Christmas holidays are a good time
start sampling the bottles you started in October. Christmas
presents of your own sloe gin are also always much appreciated
by friends! |
| |
calendar © brian donnan, sloe.biz |
|
|
The
Gloucestershire Echo
featured sloe.biz
on 19 Aug 2004
See the page here
Photographer Cher Permaul earned herself
a bottle of this year's sloe gin for this great photo of me
- skillfully set up in just 30 seconds, against a glass door! |
 |
| |
© photo by Cher
Permaul, Gloucestershire Echo |
|
 |
This bottle is four months
old. The 1.7L cider flagon was half-filled with
sloes (approx 700g), plus two wine goblets of
sugar (approx 300g) - then topped-up with about
a litre of gin.
Decant the liquor off between 3-6 months, then
either drink or store until next winter. |
|
|
 |
| The litre bottle on right has just
had sugar added to the sloes and gin. The flagon on left
is only a couple of hours old but has already aquired
a good magenta colour. |
|
|
| Freezer Tips: |
There are many more useful tips
on the FORUM |
| Don't confuse 'first frosts'
with domestic freezers! Leaving the sloes on the bush until
'after the first frosts' is in my opinion entirely about allowing
full ripening, and has nothing to do with any so-called benefits
of freezing! |
| Freezing sloes at home will
do them no harm, and many people actually think it is helpful. |
| If you do choose to freeze your
sloes - to preserve an excess bag for another time, for example
- then be sure to bottle them as quickly as possible after removing
from the freezer bag! Frozen sloes quickly become covered in
a frosty deposit of condensed water vapour ... and you should
be careful not to allow too much of this to enter your pure
gin! |
| Be careful to remove all the
leaves and twigs etc from your bag of sloes before
freezing ... otherwise you'll find them much more difficult
and unpleasant to separate later. |
| there's no biz
like sloe.biz |
|
| Frequently Asked Questions |
There are many more useful tips
on the FORUM |
The sloe.biz
FORUM is packed with useful FAQs.
When to pick sloes?
What type of bottles?
How to clear sediment?
Can I add almond essence?
Where can I obtain sloes in Arizona?
... and many more queries ... |
|
| there's no biz
like sloe.biz |
|
| The sloe.biz simple recipe
is just that - very simple. Make sloe gin in
the sloe.biz way, and you won't go wrong |
The great thing about using sloes in gin is
that they are almost completely useless
for anything else! |
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