Sloe Gin

[Glutton4...]

The cheapest you can get - pointless to waste the good stuff!

[Caro]

Some in-the-know friends pointed out sloe berries to us last year, so we picked them and made our gin. Gorgeous. However, this year, we'll need to identify them on our own (and try to find them in a different part of the country).

I remember the bush having white, fluffy, beards on it. So If I find a bush with small dark purple berries and white fluff, is that definitely sloes?

Thanks!

[Brengirl]

If and when you find some will you send a pic of them. I too need to know.

[Hilary B]

Unfortunately the best time of year to spot the sloes is in spring, when the flowers appear before the leaves. Mostly sloes have a 'bloom' on so they aren't very black (more a soft dark purple) like a miniature damson. The bushes will have thorns (a bit like those on hawthorn), and the leaves may well be starting to go yellow by now.
One 'easily confused' possibility is the Wayfaring tree, which has black shiny berries, just a bit smaller than sloes, larger leaves than the sloe bush, and doesn't have the thorns. You need to be very sure it isn't one of those!
The fluffy beard is almost certainly wild clematis climbing up the bushes.....

[Two_Sheds]

I remember the bush having white, fluffy, beards on it.

In the spring? That's blossom. In the autumn? no idea, maybe Old Man's Beard like Hilary says

Sloe (blackthorn) has vicious thorns and the fruits are really bitter: you'll know it when you find it.

[Jeanied]

The best time to start to locate you sloe bushes is watch out for first thing to blossom in the hedgerows in winter. You are looking for a low scrubby hedgy bush - and it has the white blossom before all the other hedgerow bushes like hawthorn and the wild cherries.
This time of year you need to check for the thorns, and the small purple / black fruit (with a white bloom which you can mark with your fingerprints like a good plum or damson). Once you are sure you are dealing with a prunus - the stone is similar in all of them - you could try the taste test with the flesh - but the sloes are very bitter. If it has some sweetness then you are on to a wild plum in the shape of a black bullace, damson or cherry plum. None of the latter have thorns though.

[lettucegrow!]

It's a good year for sloes, you should recognise the bush easily as it will have a blue hue about it with all the sloes.

[Glutton4...]

If and when you find some will you send a pic of them. I too need to know.

We have loads round here, I'll get some pics later this morning.

[Glutton4...]

OK, pics as promised;

[shirlthegirl43]

Blimey G4 that is one heck of a crop!!!

[Glutton4...]

We're over run with them here this year. My Dad has neglected his hedges, and they've spread about four metres out into the paddock. All Blackthorn! Anyone round this way want any, come and help yerself before the birds do!

[Shadylane]

I've been out picking today, was waiting for first frost but spotted someone stripping a bush I'd eyed up for picking so thought I'd better get in there before they all go. The second location I had in mind also seems to have been attacked. I still managed to pick a kilo though so should be plenty

[Brengirl]

We headed to the spot that I new had a blackthorne only to find that it had been virtually stripped. I had with me a sort of crook so was able to draw some top branches down. Managed to pick about a kilo and got at by some lethal stinging nettles to boot.
I bought a litre of vodka but it wasn't enough to cover to 2 jars so raided the drinks cabinet and cleared out all the nearly empty spirits I could find. Think I will call it Sloe Motion or Sloe Potion what do you think?

[Glutton4...]

...Think I will call it Sloe Motion or Sloe Potion what do you think?

Excellent name!

[Shadylane]

Or how about sloe motion potion