Discussion
FurtiveFreddy said:
Puggit said:
How are everyone's supplies looking? I went back to last year's bushes, which survived the poor conditions and they are bare this year!
I shall need to go and check site 2...
[nervously]I shall need to go and check site 2...
I've got a feeling we may have shared the same site 1 before... how is your site 2? Is there enough left to share...
[/nervously]
You'll get nuthin outta me, nuthin !
Bill said:
8Ace said:
Here's a tip for those making sloe gin.
Pricking each sloe individually with a pin takes ages and you only end up with one hole per sloe which won't allow the flavour to permeate the gin so much. What I've found useful is to use the spiky section of a 4-sided cheese grater
Doesn't freezing them do the same thing? The water in them expands, splitting the skin.Pricking each sloe individually with a pin takes ages and you only end up with one hole per sloe which won't allow the flavour to permeate the gin so much. What I've found useful is to use the spiky section of a 4-sided cheese grater
Anyway, picked another 1.4 kg yesterday so we're set for winter
8Ace said:
Bill said:
8Ace said:
Here's a tip for those making sloe gin.
Pricking each sloe individually with a pin takes ages and you only end up with one hole per sloe which won't allow the flavour to permeate the gin so much. What I've found useful is to use the spiky section of a 4-sided cheese grater
Doesn't freezing them do the same thing? The water in them expands, splitting the skin.Pricking each sloe individually with a pin takes ages and you only end up with one hole per sloe which won't allow the flavour to permeate the gin so much. What I've found useful is to use the spiky section of a 4-sided cheese grater
Anyway, picked another 1.4 kg yesterday so we're set for winter
Podie said:
After a week....
Thought I may have left it too late after spotting a new site a few weeks ago with several blackthorn bushes in plain view of anyone passing, but went there this morning and they haven't been touched!
Picked 3.3 Kg but probably could have got ten times that if we wanted to.
Just finished bagging and freezing them. 2013 vintage - sorted.
Picked 3.3 Kg but probably could have got ten times that if we wanted to.
Just finished bagging and freezing them. 2013 vintage - sorted.
I pick approx. 5lbs / 30 mins in my secret spot near Frankfurt. Noone is interested in them, they're absolutely mahoosive and juicy.
We have 10 litres of sloe gin in various sugar concentrations, sloe vodka, and sloe and cinnamon vodka.
It's out first year making the stuff so I'm curious to see how it turns out, and typically have gone completely mental and made a huge amount.
Fortunately I have access to an easy supply of 0.5 litre bottles - buy a crate of Alte Munster beer, with the rubber flip-tops, drink, rinse, sterilize, fill with SG, drink, return to shop to retrieve 15 cent deposit.
We have 10 litres of sloe gin in various sugar concentrations, sloe vodka, and sloe and cinnamon vodka.
It's out first year making the stuff so I'm curious to see how it turns out, and typically have gone completely mental and made a huge amount.
Fortunately I have access to an easy supply of 0.5 litre bottles - buy a crate of Alte Munster beer, with the rubber flip-tops, drink, rinse, sterilize, fill with SG, drink, return to shop to retrieve 15 cent deposit.
Scraped the cars this morning then went out my back later today to check the sloes!!
Have an area roughly the size of a football pitch full of blackthorn.
Last year there were none but looking quite good today.
See the ones I froze last year, can I use them this year?
I also have loads of brambles frozen from last year, I made bramble vodka and it was great!
Have an area roughly the size of a football pitch full of blackthorn.
Last year there were none but looking quite good today.
See the ones I froze last year, can I use them this year?
I also have loads of brambles frozen from last year, I made bramble vodka and it was great!
Visiting home (northampton) and went for a wander yesterday, thousands of the buggers just of the road, completely untouched by the look of it. Also found a tree which I think was damsons, much bigger fruit, no thorns but still quite bitter (apparently they should be sweet to taste?). So that is another 2 litres made.
Slightly OT as it isn't really hedgerow stuff but I mad a small quantity of Raspberry Gin this year for the first time, due to being overwhelmed with raspberries for the first time. Similar recipes but only a couple of weeks storage and then bottled. It's a real taste of summer for these dark, cold evenings. Mrs Z already requested more for next year
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