Sloes

[Bubblette]

Hello
I've made sloe gin and sloe vodka in the past (very nice!) but does anyone know of anything else to do with sloes like do they make good jam or jelly or compote etc? I got loads and still have some inthe freezer and it gets kind of expensive buying gin and vodka to use them!

Thanks

[Hedgehogpie]

What about sloe wine? There seem to be plenty of recipes available for it on the web. You certainly can add them to hedgerow jam mixes or even use them on their own but beware because the result can set insanely solidly (so much so I couldn't get a knife into mine to remove it from the jar). Or maybe a try them as a fruit leather if mixed with another fruit & some sweetener that would lighten and compliment their sour astringency?

Because I hate to see all that expensive boozy goodness going to waste, I also reuse the gin-steeped fruits in jam mixtures, to make 'slider' (basically the gin soaked sloes are strained off & re-steeped in cider - trust me, it works! ) or dip them in bitter dark chocolate as a christmas treat.

[sheridand]

Are sloe trees always thorned? I ask because I have spotted two big ones in the hedge at the bottom of my garden, but although they look sloe like fruit, the trees are not thorined, so they could be bilberries? I am longing to make a sloe wine.

[benner]

Are sloe trees always thorned? I ask because I have spotted two big ones in the hedge at the bottom of my garden, but although they look sloe like fruit, the trees are not thorined, so they could be bilberries? I am longing to make a sloe wine.

I reckon more trees are thornless than thorny round these parts, my 4 year old has no problems while picking them (slave labour eh?)

As well as vodka, I made sloe jelly last year and a cordial. The jelly was fine, the cordial wasn't great - took it to a friends and we ended up mixing it with some awful brew-from-kit lager - was ok then!

I'm sure Gales used to do a Sloe wine, never tried it though... I've got a CJJ Berry book somewhere, will see if there's a recipe in there!

Ben

[WhiteWolf]

We've gone down the Sloe Gin and Vodka route (prefer the vodka ).

But SWMBO says that Sloes would be to sour for jelly and jams in her opinion, though we have never tried to make any so are willing to be but right

Regards

WW

[hmk]

You can make sloe jam, but it's more serve-with-meat-and-cheese type jam than toast-topping jam IMO.

Add a few to a hedgerow jam- blackberries/elderberries/crab apples etc. There are lots of recipes on the net if you want to check proportions.
I also saw a recipe last year for blackberry and sloe gin jam which I liked the sound of. It was blackberries with sloes and gin separately, rather than wasting precious sloe gin, but I can't remember where I read it now.

I made apple and sloe jelly last year, which has been very nice with pork especially, although I eat it in a cheese sandwich

I've also just found this pudding recipe http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/577663
Might be worth a try.

HMK