ross
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sloehave I picked sloes too early? In anticipation of making some sloe gin, I picked a bag of sloes (some black, some dusky blue) but just did an internet search and found a page saying that sloes for making gin should not be picked until the first frosts, as this reduces the tannin.
if this is true, can I do anything else with them?
thanks
ross.
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cab
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Do the gin anyway. Freezing permeates and softens them a bit, so I reccomend giving them a day or three in the freezer first. It might come out slightly tanniny, but you can get over that by making it slightly sweeter later on if you need to.
In many regions, leaving sloes on the trees till after a frost just isn't an option!
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jema
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That advice is very dated, store the Sloe in the freezer before processing to simulate the frost!
I have picked 4.5lb so far this year, and some are still too early, so i'm leaving them.
I'd say if you feel they will still be there next week, or if they are small and hard then leave them, as time will improve them, otherwise go for it.
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gil
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up in the frozen north, we had frost on monday morning, but the sloes are still green, and (going by past experience) probably won't be ready till the end of september.
i'd go with freezing them. also, leaving the gin to mature a bit longer than you might otherwise (as with homebrew wine , which takes longer to mature the higher the tannin level). make it now and it should be fine by Xmas / Hogmanay.
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jema
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| gbst wrote: | up in the frozen north, we had frost on monday morning, but the sloes are still green, and (going by past experience) probably won't be ready till the end of september.
i'd go with freezing them. also, leaving the gin to mature a bit longer than you might otherwise (as with homebrew wine , which takes longer to mature the higher the tannin level). make it now and it should be fine by Xmas / Hogmanay. |
I have seen in the last few days, a very few with a hint of green, which is too early to pick, other blue but still immature, and then those which at least seem ripe enough.
it is early days though.
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Guest
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I guys
Mel and I have about 4 lbs of sloes in the freezer so far and have done so for the last 4/5 years and the gin has been fantastic
has anyone else noticed how early everything seems to be this year ??
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jema
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| Anonymous wrote: | I guys
Mel and I have about 4 lbs of sloes in the freezer so far and have done so for the last 4/5 years and the gin has been fantastic
has anyone else noticed how early everything seems to be this year ?? |
To be honest only in comparison with what the books say! the seasons seem to have changed for some years now.
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porkypalmers
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Damn been away for so long got booted off ...lol
anyway Mel and Me (Andy) are the porkypalmers
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tahir
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| porkypalmers wrote: | | porkypalmers |
Rhyming slang for pig farmers?
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cab
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| Anonymous wrote: |
has anyone else noticed how early everything seems to be this year ?? |
Yeah. Blackberries were early, plums were early, apples were early, elderberries slightly early, elderflowers very early... But I'm still waiting for a lot of the mushrooms to appear. Sloes are always earlier than most of the books tell you, at least down here they are.
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dougal
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Having frozen a load of sloes, for the first time, I wonder - do I still need to prick them, after thawing, before bottling?
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sean
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No, IMHO. Put them into your container still frozen and pour in the gin. Works for me anyway.
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cab
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| sean wrote: | | No, IMHO. Put them into your container still frozen and pour in the gin. Works for me anyway. |
Me too.
Freezing permeates the skin, it softens them up a bit for getting the gin in and the flavour out. Pricking is the old fashioned (pre-freezer) solution for what to do if the sloes are ripe before there's a frost.
This year, I've been daring and made mine without first freezing the berries. They ripened early, so I've gone and put really ripe ones straight into the jar with gin and sugar. So far, so good.
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jema
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I got away without pricking last year  and have done the same this year, actually when I say I have done the same, I really mean Snowball has done the same  but heck i picked most of them, she can put them into soak.
We have one 5 gallon bucket, and one 2.5 gallon bucket on the go.
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