quixoticgeek
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Sloe progressI am still trying to get used to how the seasons here in .nl differ in timing from the UK. Whilst friends in Kent are still picking blackberries, the ones here finished over a week ago.
The plus side of this however, is that the sloe's are beautifully ripe. This evening we managed to put together about 4lb, which when added to the 1lb picked yesterday, gives enough for some sloe gin, and some sloe wine!
The shorter season is making it slightly harder to wait for the first frosts, they will be over ripe by the time the frosts arrive. So a day or so in the freezer seems the way forward.
Rose hips will be nice and ripe soon...
J
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Rob R
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4lb?  We count them by the bucketful here 
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quixoticgeek
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| Rob R wrote: | | 4lb? We count them by the bucketful here |
We didn't have enough punnets to pick any more... :p
J
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Rob R
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Which reminds me, must buy a new wheel barrow 
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Jamanda
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Our neighbours round the back have a big ruggerbugger (or what ever they are called) rose bush with loads of big, fat, ripe hips right outside their back gate. Do you think they'd miss them?
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Rob R
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Surely not.
Can you imagine the headlines? "Local teacher nicks hips"
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GrillMonkey
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So is it ok to pick them now? I was told to wait until the first frost?
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cab
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Pick them when they're ripe, as these days they tend to be ripe WAAAY before the frosts come. Bung them in the freezer overnight if you want to soften the skins up before making sloe gin, but when trying batches side by side made with frozen and unfrozen berries, theres little to choose between them.
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Rob R
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Incidentally, what is the pinacle of ripeness in a sloe?
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tahir
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or a rosehip?
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jocorless
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| Rob R wrote: | | Incidentally, what is the pinacle of ripeness in a sloe? |
Would have thought as soon as there is a modicum of give in the fruit - I know that they are main stone but even so
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jocorless
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| tahir wrote: | | or a rosehip? |
Rosehips are best after a frost but I picked some lovely big bright red ones this week and stuffed them in the freezer for later use - I've missed out over the last few years as I've left it far too late to pick - so this year I thought I'd be pro-active
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Rob R
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Think I'll just leave them until after the first frost (life's too short to be squeezing sloes for ripeness) as there's plenty of other things to be using at the moment. I'm rather pleased with my plums this year. 
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Jamanda
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| Rob R wrote: | | I'm rather pleased with my plums this year. |
And does Ixy share your high opinion?
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Ixy
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| Rob R wrote: | | Think I'll just leave them until after the first frost (life's too short to be squeezing sloes for ripeness) |
Life's too short to wait until after the first frost! I want my gin!
| Jamanda wrote: | | Rob R wrote: | | I'm rather pleased with my plums this year. |
And does Ixy share your high opinion? |
Definately, and I think Rob's pleased with my plum-handling too.
We stripped that tree bare
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lettucewoman
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sloes here are all juicy and ripe...and Ive already started experimenting with rosehips, cos they are starting to get over ripe and squishy... 
making apple and rosehip jelly hopefully sunday evening (no time before then cos of a craft fair saturday AND a wedding fair sunday!!!) 
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Rob R
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| Ixy wrote: | Definately, and I think Rob's pleased with my plum-handling too.
We stripped that tree bare |
7lb in total from a rather small bush. I managed to 'ruin' the sweet pickled plums first time round and they became plum chutney, but the second batch were more sucessful and plum jam.
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jema
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We have just found the motherlode of sloes Mostly too early to pick.
They are "guarded" by about 30 horses, who crowded us somewhat, which was a trifle disconcerting when one barge and you are in the thorns  any tips on that score anyone?
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VM
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Strange the variation across the country - we've just been picking sloes in Cumbria, near Grange, but they seemed to be mostly nearly over.
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Rob R
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| jema wrote: | | any tips on that score anyone? |
Treating blackthorn wounds or getting rid of horses?
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jema
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| VM wrote: | | Strange the variation across the country - we've just been picking sloes in Cumbria, near Grange, but they seemed to be mostly nearly over. |
The last patch we found in Swindon looked at the tail end, the new patch looks anything but So there is local variation.
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