Last year’s sloe gin has been steeping for ten months now – it’s time to decant. I found these pretty bottles at Lakeland (where they’re marketed especially for sloe gin), and filled four of them from last year’s Rumtopf.
I’ll be able to start collecting sloes, hopefully, some time next month. A quick recap – pick sloes after the first frost, prick them all over with a needle and for every pound of sloes you collect, pour over 8 oz of caster sugar and 1 ¾ pints of gin, then seal. You can leave the gin for as little as two months to steep, agitating the container occasionally, but the longer you leave it, the smoother the results will be.
I’ve had a few emails asking what a sloe bush looks like and where to find one, so I went down to the woods today (no big surprises) and took some pictures. The sloe is the fruit of the blackthorn bush, and you’ll often find them making up part of a hedgerow, or growing near the edge of a field. If you don’t live in the countryside, don’t despair – blackthorn can be found in scrubby land in towns, and is often planted in parks. Most of England’s public footpaths will have at least one sloe bush on its route, and a very pleasant afternoon can be spent foraging the hedgerows for a carrier-bag full.
The blackthorn bush grows to between 3 and 13 feet tall. If you have sharp eyes, you can identify the bush in the spring by its froth of white flowers and remember where it is for later in the year. Although the fruits here look purple and delicious, they’re not ready yet (September 1) – you really need to pick them after a frost, which gives them time to ripen, softens their astringency and makes them easier to prick. If, as happened last year, the frosts just aren’t happening, pick in November and put them in the freezer.
The sloes are nearly spherical and grow close to the branch. A raw sloe is a particularly disgusting beast – it’s sharp and astringent. It will make your tongue shrivel and your teeth squeak. These purple fruits are not sloes (compare with the picture above) – they’re wild plums, which ripen earlier, have longer stems, are soft to the touch and are sweetly delicious. If in doubt, have a nibble. If it’s delicious, it’s a plum. If it’s like sucking a fruity deodorant stick, it’s a sloe. The gin takes on all the fruit’s best characteristics, and none of the astringency.
Sloe gin is deliciously versatile. Try pepping up unremarkable Cava with a splash, drink it neat, use it in a martini or add some to mulled wine. I’ll be making another batch next month…until then, cheers!
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No sloes in Lancashire, Lorna?! I live up on the West Lancs moors and there are sloes everywhere. ::eyes jars of slowly-steeping gin fondly::
I’ve identified the sloes. Loads in Sheffield. Just a matter of waiting until the time is right. The waiting is going to drive me mad!!!!! I hope its worth it.
Vik.
Where in Sheffield are the sloes you know of? i live there (S11 Ecclesall). Trust me, home made sloe gin will be worth the wait. Try 2 bottles, one with much less sugar – reminiscent of ribena dry.
Salut!
Hello,
I live in Leeds and was really hoping to find some blackthorn bushes nearby – hopefully make my first ever batch of sloe gin (and possibly sloe whisky too)…can anybody please help me with good fruitful hedges? I don’t mind a bit of journey…easily tie it in with a nice walk hopefully.
Cheers,
Dave
I picked some sloes today and it looks like I am too early
. My reasoning was that as we have Blackberries which are ready now in West Sussex, so perhaps the Sloe may be! They taste very bitter …… shall I chuck them away then? 
Anyhow, I have made a lovely Blackberry and Apple Crumble ………….
where can I find sloes in rotherham south yorks.thanks
I’m a towny and don’t really know what a blackthorn looks like (last year I think I picked plums ….) Anyway where do you think I can pick some sloes, I’m in Highbridge near Burnham on Sea. Thanks – can’t wait to make some sloe gin mmmmmm
Today I picked 3 kilo’s of blackberries and on the way to get them found a bountiful supply of Sloes? cannot wait to get picking to make sloe gin but is there anything else to make with them?
Impatient – give them a shot, after freezing. You should still be OK, and it’ll give you a good excuse to make another batch next month! Marg and Blondie – afraid I can’t help there, but lots of people seem to be commenting on this thread, so keep an eye out in case someone chimes in helpfully. And Jammaker – I haven’t found any other successful application for them (other than substituting the gin for brandy), but I understand that some people have had success enrobing the steeped sloes in chocolate when straining the gin off. You’ll have to temper your chocolate, of course, but if you do experiment with it, I’d love to know how it goes!
After reading your article & comments,as we live on the edge of Plymouth & Dartmoor we can’t wait to go out walking and find some Sloe’s, if all fails we are lucky enough to have a distillary in the heart of Plymouth where we’ll just have to buy one of the finest Sloe gins in the counrty. But i’m sure it’ll be more fun making it ourselfs.If anyone has any tips of where to pick them in our area it would be much appreciated as Dartmoor is a large area to cover. Thankyou Paul & Christine
If you make your own sloe gin you will never go back to the commercial varieties as nice as they are.
Marg- I would try Clumber park.Dave which part of Leeds are you? I’m in Huddersfield and there are loads,even bushes that had none last year have got them so looks like there will be no shortage this year!
You can normally fine large numbers of bushes around local reservoirs that have paths round them!
Thanks very much, Jemma! Dave – I’m in Ilkley myself this weekend, and I’m off for a walk near Leeds tomorrow; I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if I spot any likely bushes.
Paul and Christine in Plymouth – if you walk round the coast path from wembury towards the foot ferry there are loads and loads of sloe bushes, as an alternative to Dartmoor. You can pick a ton of blackberries here too and elderberries coming soon.
Thank you, Sue and Poppy! (The rest of you sloe-spotters, keep it coming!)
Does anyone know of anywhere to find sloes near Aberdeen? Hoping to start sloe gin making this year. If not I’ll just have to content myself with bramble brandy…
Thank you! Sue & Poppy
i live in west berkshire and there are thousands already i cant wait if your near the ridgeway it covered in sloes!!!
I’ve been out for a walk round Newmarket race course today – plenty along the hedgerows out there, especially along the Devil’s Dyke.
any idea where I cn get sloes in west Wales – Swansea area???
Does anyone know where my nearest Sloe bushes might be? I’m in Ely, Cambs….
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