[pushrod]

I have been growing my own  sloes and want to make sloe gin from them. Do you wash the sloes thoroughly or leave the bloom on. I notice that all the recipes say to put sugar in - Is this for sweetness or is there some fermentation going on ?

[Salmo]

Wash them as there might be some bird mess or something to contaminate your gin. There is no fermentation. The sugar is purely to counteract the bitterness of the sloes.

Most recipies put in too much sugar which spoils the beautiful astringent plummy taste that is sloe gin. You can always add more sugar later but you cannot take it out.

If your sloes are ripe you can freeze them until you are ready to make the sloe gin.

When the gin is ready there are usually bits floating about in it. Filter it through a coffee filter paper in a funnel.

[pushrod]

Thanks Salmo    Would you actually wash that yeast bloom off (needs quite a bit of cleaning to get it off) or just give them a thorough rinse?

[jazzbyrd]

What time of the year are sloes ready for picking ?

Jazz

[Harry Flashman VC]

Anytime from now i'd say till November although its supposed to be best after the first frosts I picked some the other day and made a bottle of sloe gin.  There were still alot of green ones so will be back picking them at the end of the month