Sloe berry bush

**rustylady** · 19-05-2012, 04:18 PM

Sloes are blackthorns. Better grown in open ground. Even better, don't grow your own find out where they grow locally and just go and pick the fruit.

**veggiechicken** · 19-05-2012, 04:51 PM

Its not worth giving up space in your garden for something that is easy to find in the wild. Save your money!

**Kleftiwallah** · 19-05-2012, 05:05 PM

Ditto & Ditto. Cheers, Tony.

**Two_Sheds** · 19-05-2012, 07:35 PM

The blackthorn shrubs I pick from are more than 12 feet tall (and of course, the best fruits are right at the top)

**Jason Cartwright** · 20-05-2012, 08:25 AM

Cheers guys.
I've never seen a blackthorne bush, that i know of.
I'll keep a better eye out next time i'm walking.

**veggiechicken** · 20-05-2012, 08:39 AM

Don't walk into one Jason - could be painful! They're best spotted when in flower in early spring and mentally mapped for revisiting in the Autumn, just in time to make sloe gin for Christmas!

**Two_Sheds** · 20-05-2012, 03:20 PM

Originally posted by Jason Cartwright View Post

I've never seen a blackthorne bush

Before electric fences, they were planted as stock hedging, to keep the animals put.

Go walking around farmland, you'll soon spot some (big thorns, white flowers)

**Feral007** · 21-05-2012, 02:12 AM

So now I know what sloes are, and that we don't have them. What else could I put in the gin?

**veggiechicken** · 21-05-2012, 07:13 AM

Originally posted by Feral007 View Post

So now I know what sloes are, and that we don't have them. What else could I put in the gin?

Tonic, ice and lemon? Sloes are like tiny damsons or plums so you could probably use those too

**Two_Sheds** · 21-05-2012, 12:33 PM

Originally posted by Feral007 View Post

What else could I put in the gin?

Whatever you like really, just experiment

Sloes are good because they complement that bitter gin flavour

I put blackberries in whisky, and blackcurrants/raspberries in vodka

**Feral007** · 21-05-2012, 12:42 PM

I see, so really I need more alcomahol so that I can experiment with various fruits and berries? OMG I love the way you think!

**Jason Cartwright** · 21-05-2012, 07:06 PM

Is there a website that could point me in right direction as to where i could find a Blackthorn bush or two near me?

**Two_Sheds** · 21-05-2012, 07:14 PM

Gosh no, sloe sites are top secret.

Honestly ~ when people ask me, I misdirect them

**taff** · 23-05-2012, 10:41 AM

I made something slightly weird but very very nice last year. I went scrumping for various things, and made [or tried to make] hedgerow jelly. I added various things ot the jelly to try and get it to set but it wouldn't. In it were rosehips, the big fat ones, a few sloes, some quince, hawberries [lots of], and crabapples [not many of those]
It turned into a thick fruity really dark syrup that wouldn't set not matter how many times I boiled it.
So in the end, I just added it straight to some vodka [reasoning that when you do sloe gin, you add sloes and you add sugar, the jelly was already fruit and sugar...etc]
I did have shake quite vigorously to melt it all in, but the resulting drink is really really good, even if I say so myself. I called it hedgerow vodka and gave a lot of it away as christmas presents, but I do have half a small bottle left for me. I tell you, it kicks bigger than a donkey...
I also made quince vodka, which was done the same as the sloes. Peel and de-seed, slice into pieces, like peaches in a tin, add vodka, add sugar, presto! quince vodka. That was really nice too.
I still have a jar of the jelly left to add to some more vodka for this year

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