Sloe Gin Update

My Sloe Gin Experiment

After a very cold morning on Thursday and having spotted an untapped sloe bush I decided to run a little experiment to see what the best sloe gin method is.

The first frost method

After the first frost last week, I decided to collect some sloes to see if this method makes better sloe gin.  Having picked sloes both before and after the first frost the main difference I have noticed so far is that the sloes are easier to pick.

You will need:

1.5 Lit Kilner Jar 

1 Lit of Sainsburys London Dry Gin

200g Unrefined Can Sugar

500g of Sloes picked after the first frost.

Several Bamboo Skewers

I chose the 1.5 Lit Kilner jar as it is the perfect container for 500g of sloes, 200g of sugar and 1 Lit of Gin.

Prick the sloes using the skewer, I make 4 holes on the top and bottom of each sloe, for 500g worth this can take around 1 hour 30 mins, place into the jar.  Then add the 200g of sugar and finally the gin.  Close the lid and shake.  

If you buy several litres of gin, you can use the empty bottle.  Using the same recipe as above but reduce the sloes to 250g, 125g of sugar and 1/2 lit of gin.

Shake the jar(s) every day for 2 weeks, then every other day for 2 weeks and reduce to once a week for 2 months, this will ensure the sugar quickly dissolves in the gin.

Sweet, Medium or Dry?

Using the above recipe per 500g of sloes and 1 litre of gin, use the following rule as a guide;

Dry 125 - 150g of sugar

Medium 200 - 225g of sugar

Sweet 250 - 325g of sugar

Time to Harvest those Apples

A Very Special Apple

My wife presented me with an apple that was growing on a tree where she works, it really impressed me to the point where I felt the need to share it with you.

Now let me point out that the bowl and mug are average size, this apple is one of the biggest I have ever seen and weighing in at 1 lb it is a bit of a monster.  I think that I will save this apple to make into something nice this weekend.

Stewed Apple with Yoghurt and Sloe Syrup

One of my favourite recipes is for spiced stewed apple with yoghurt and either sloe or blackberry syrup.

Recipe

Peeled and quartered apples, enough to fill a large saucepan, around 1kg.

Unrefined can sugar

Ground mixed spice containing cinnamon, coriander seed, dill, ginger, cloves and  nutmeg.

Natural yoghurt

Sloe or Blackberry syrup,  you can use honey or maple syrup instead.

Place the apples in a saucepan adding 2 tablespoons of water, with the lid cook on a high heat until steam appears and then reduce the heat to medium until the apples start to soften, then add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of the spice mix and stir. Once some of the apples have dissolved and there are still some whole slices remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Once cooled the stewed apple can be kept in a fridge for 1 week in a sealed container.  Place the stewed apple in a bowl and cover with yoghurt, then drizzle over your choice of topping.

 

Unrefined Cane Sugar

I use unrefined cane sugar instead of refined white sugar, because unrefined sugar still contains all of the naturally occurring minerals, whereas refined sugar have these minerals stripped away leaving pure carbohydrates.

Unrefined sugar is healthier than refined sugar and sweeteners as it is produced form the juice of the sugar cane plant and it has a richer flavour when compared to refined sugar.  The minerals contained in this sugar include Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Chromium and Potassium.  One teaspoon of unrefined sugar contains approximately 11 calories.
Cane sugar is reported to help prevent certain types of cancer and differs from refined sugar as it helps hydrate and revitalise the body after exercise.

Refined white sugar can cause more damage to your health, this is due to the chemicals used in the refining process, such as Phosphoric and Formic Acid and Sulphur Dioxide.

Brown sugar is refined sugar with added molasses giving it a brown colour.  Molasses is the by-product of refining sugar and contains all the minerals that have been stripped during this process, on its own it is healthier than the refined sugar.

Unrefined sugar behaves the same way as refined sugar when used for cooking and baking.  The only difference is that refined sugar dissolves quicker.

The key when buying sugar is to only go for sugar that is made from unrefined cane sugar

This is the brand of unrefined can sugar that I use.

Sloe Gin Recipe

The Humble Sloe, Natures Winter Gift.

As the nights draw in and the cold sets in, my heart is lifted by the call of the sloes.  These little purple berries have been catching my eye for a few months now, but the best time to pick them is October, so I have to be a little patient.

Well! It is October now and I have been  busy out gathering these little gems.  This year 2010 has been a great year for sloes and it looks to be a bumper harvest.  I alone have managed to collect 7kg, which makes me very happy, as I will be able to make a batch ready for Christmas and another to keep for next winter.

Having watched my father make sloe gin growing up, I now take over and my aim is to make the best possible sloe gin.  To achieve this will take good planning, a lot of research, a little love and passion.

I want to make my sloe gin just right, not too sweet or dry.  As I am making 2 batches the mistakes I make on the first will be rectified for the second batch, to be kept for next winter.  I have been looking at many recipes in preparation of developing my own.  

My bountiful harvest of Sloes, October 2010.

The Recipe:

I have decided to make 2 types a Dry and Medium Gin.

Dry Sloe Gin:

500g of Sloes. (unwashed with stalks and debris removed).

150g Unrefined cane sugar.

1 lit Dry London Gin (bog standard own brand, average price approx £13 per lit).

*Prick the sloes and place into a glass container that can be sealed,  add the sugar and finally the gin.  Store the container in a cool, dark place for 2-6 months, if you are a patient person.  For the first two weeks shake the container every day, then every other day for the next two weeks and then once a week from then on.  After four weeks take a small sample and taste, if you want to add more sugar you can, but remember to start shaking the container daily as before to ensure the sugar dissolves.

*If you froze the sloes to be bottled at a later date the freezing process should have broken the cells down so it should not be necessary to prick the sloes.

Christmas/New Year

If you intend to consume your gin in time from Christmas and New Year the sloes must be bottled in October, I started picking mine after the first week.  I checked each sloe to make sure there was nothing attached to them, before placing them in the freezer.  There they will stay until needed when I will take them out and bottle once thawed. 

If you are keeping your gin for next winter, decant the liquid after 6 months and set the Sloes aside.  The gin should be stored to allow any sediment to settle on the bottom.  You can the siphon the clear liquid from the top leaving the sediment on the bottom.  Do not throw away the liquid containing the sediment, as this can either be used for cooking or stained through a coffee filter, wasting nothing.

Medium Sloe Gin:

500g of Sloes.   (unwashed with stalks and debris removed).

225g Unrefined cane sugar.

1 lit Dry London Gin. (bog standard own brand, average price approx £13 per lit).

Use the same process as for the dry gin recipe.  To make a sweet sloe gin increase the sugar to 300g.  If you decide to go down the sweet route, make a bottle of dry gin, if you find your gin to be too sweet the dry gin can be mixed with the sweet.

Now I have made the Gin what can I do with the Sloes?

It surprised me to find out that the gin soaked sloes have not given up all of their essence.  By soaking these little fruit in gin and sugar they are transformed from a bitter tasting berry to a versatile fruit.  

So what can we do with the sloes?  Well I am going to make a boozy berry muffin,  an American style pancake with a sloe filling and either Vanilla ice cream or clotted cream, to name but a few and for the rest I will be soaking them in Sherry. Probably the best Sherry to use is Amontillado a medium Sherry.

For those of you who fancy making a Sloe Vodka, I will be setting some sloes aside and updating you on the process.

Until then I will be regularly updating you once I have purchased the gin and vodka.

Whilst researching recipes for sloe gin at, Legendary Dartmoor,  I came across an intriguing site, giving readers an insight into Sloes on Dartmoor and local tales of the Tavistock Badger, click on the Badger to learn more!

News Flash, Reuters.

A badger in Germany got so drunk on over-ripe cherries it staggered into the middle of a road and refused to budge, police said on Wednesday.

A motorist called police near the central town of Goslar to report a dead badger on a road only for officers to turn up and discover the animal alive and well, but drunk.

Police discovered the nocturnal beast had eaten cherries from a nearby tree which had turned to alcohol and given the badger diarrhoea.

Having failed to scare the animal away, officers eventually chased it from the road with a broom.

Was this the Tavistock Badger?

An Introduction.

I am very fussy when it comes to food and I like to know what I am eating.  I believe that eating fresh, or as fresh as possible, is the best.  For this reason I have created this forum to share some ideas, recipes and facts about food.

I will also be reviewing online food suppliers starting with Spanish food.  My favourite Spanish foods are Tapas, Serrano and Iberico hams, fresh seafood and rural delicacies. My favourite accompaniments to these delicious dishes is a nice glass of Rioja or Fino and Amontillado Sherry.

As there are more programmes and articles about food additives, including the warnings about processed meats, I will be addressing these issues and looking at how we can recreate our favourite dishes at home without these additives.