Sloes should be picked when ripe and rich dark blue-purple in colour, and can be squashed. Some may have already fallen to the ground naturally. Traditionally sloes shouldn't be picked until after the first frost, as it's thought the frost splits the skin.

How do you know when sloe berries are ripe?

For the best flavour, wait until the berries are ripe. They should be a rich dark purple and should squash easily between your fingertips. It's a good sign if they've already started to drop naturally to the ground. If you're picking them for sloe gin then traditionally you wait until after the first frost.

Do sloe berries ripen after picking?

It produces sloe berries, small, round bluish-black fruits which begin to appear in early summer and ripen by October time, traditionally picked after the first frosts. The frost sweetens the sloes as they ripen further, but placing them in the freezer will do an equally good job.

Can sloe berries be poisonous?

While a small amount of raw berry will probably have little effect, the berries do contain hydrogen cyanide, which in larger doses may definitely have toxic effect. However, the berries are processed commercially into sloe gin as well as in wine making and preserves.

Where can I pick sloes?

Where to find: It can be found growing in hedgerows, woodland and forest, but it grows particularly well in meadows and on scrubland. Picking tips: Sloes should be picked after the first frost, as this softens their skins, helping them to release their juices.

Sloe, Bullace or Damson? How to tell the difference

Can you pick sloes in December?

The blackthorn produces these small, damson-like fruits across the bush and are most ripe after the first frost of winter. Blackthorns blossom between March and April and yield fruit from August to November - but it is advised to wait until later in the season to pick the best sloes.

Can you freeze sloe berries?

What you should do is place the sloes in a freezer bag and freeze them for a day or two. Pricking them ruptures the fruit, allowing the flavour to leak out while they are sitting in the gin. However, freezing is better as it ruptures the sloes completely and evenly.

Is there cyanide in sloes?

The stones inside sloe berries (just like apricots or cherries) contain small amounts of amygdalin, and other cyanohydrins like mandelonitrile. This is important to note as amygdalin, broadly speaking, decomposes into three parts, hydrogen cyanide, glucose and benzaldehyde.

Can you mistake sloes?

They are a wild form of plum and so expect the bush to look like a miniature plum tree. They will have slightly serated leaves. But don't be fooled, sometimes the thorns are hard to find. Also, to confuse matters further you might find something bigger than a sloe, a bullace or a damson.

Are sloe berries green inside?

Sloes are fruit from blackthorn trees, which are reasonably common throughout most of the United Kingdom. ... Make sure they're the right berries (pierce the skin on one – they should have a green flesh inside, and will taste bitter as hell!), then fill your pockets!

Do birds eat sloe berries?

Birds and berries

The larger Mistle Thrush shows a strong preference for sloes over haws, while Redwing finds sloes too large to tackle, preferring instead to feed on haws, a preference also shown by Fieldfare.

How long should you leave sloes in gin?

Leave to mature for at least three months – but don't let the fruit spoil, so no more than six. Taste for sweetness, and add sugar if necessary/preferred.

What can you do with sloes from sloe gin?

• Sloe Jam. A jar of sloe jam isn't just a gorgeous seasonal treat – it's also an ideal stocking stuffer. ...
• Sloe Chocolates. ...
• Sloe Brandy (or Sherry) ...
• Sloe Cordial. ...
• Sloe Cider.

Why is my sloe gin cloudy?

If you cut the sloes, the liquid will be cloudy, if you pricked the sloes with a fork (or a silver hat pin) then it should clear.

Do sloe berries have stones in them?

Sloes, wild damsons, wild cherry plums and bullaces all came from the same family – albeit distant relations. They all have stones and the bushes have similar leaves. ... Sloe bushes have sharp thorns and wild damson trees do not.

Can sloes be confused with other berries?

Sloes have shorter stems and hug the branches more. Elderberries can cause some confusion when it comes to identifying them from other berries that could be toxic. The main thing to remember is that if you are unsure at all, do not pick them and do not eat too many when they are raw as they can have toxic qualities.

Do sloe bushes have thorns?

Sloe bushes have sharp thorns and wild damson trees do not. Damsons have longer stems so hang and look more like a tiny plum. Sloes have shorter stems and hug the branches more. ... Wild damsons are very sharp and sloes taste almost bitter.

How do I take a cutting from a sloe bush?

Use a sharp, clean knife to make each cut just below a node. Strip the leaves from the lower half of the cuttings and dip the bottom inch into a rooting hormone. Fill a pot with some gritty cutting compost and moisten but not saturate. Poke planting holes into the compost and insert the cuttings.

What animals eat sloes?

Value to wildlife

Birds nest among the dense, thorny thickets, eat caterpillars and other insects from the leaves, and feast on the sloes in autumn.

What does cyanide do to the body?

Cyanide prevents the cells of the body from using oxygen. When this happens, the cells die. Cyanide is more harmful to the heart and brain than to other organs because the heart and brain use a lot of oxygen.

Do I need to defrost sloes before making sloe gin?

Thawing the sloes under spirit prevents them discolouring. Put in enough sloes to just under half-fill the jar. ... At first shake the jar every few days until the sugar has dissolved then gently every week thereafter. The gin will quite quickly go pink and then go dark purple in the next few weeks.

Can you mix sloe gin with tonic?

Sloe gin is deliciously sweet with rich notes of plum and red berries. ... Combining this fruity sweetness with the bitter notes found in Fever-Tree Lemon Tonic Water makes for a perfectly balanced and refreshing long drink.

How do you rehydrate sloes?

Rehydrate your sloes by soaking them for several hours in warm water. You want just enough water to make the berries plump and glossy; keep any residual water, and definitely don't use gin.

How do you strain sloe gin?

Put the sloes in a 1-litre Kilner jar, pour over the sugar and the gin, close the lid and shake. Store the jar in a dark cupboard, shaking once every day until the sugar has all dissolved. After 3 months – or 6 months or a year – strain out the sloes, using a muslin-lined funnel placed in a bottle.