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Sloes leftover from Gin at Christmas

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Sloes leftover from Gin at Christmas

Mon 22-Feb-10
10:18 am

Sarah-J

North Yorkshire

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New here, my first post.

I made sloe gin last year to give as gifts at Christmas. Very successfull! I saved my gin-soaked sloes and they are still inhabiting a couple of le parfait jars at the back of my store cupboard. How long will they keep like this, better still can I use them for anything now? Any ideas would be great.

Mon 22-Feb-10
10:33 am

devongarden

Devon, UK

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Welcome, Sarah-J

I use gin-soaked damsons in chocolate--I take the seeds out first and either chop the fruit and mix it into dark chocolate, or cover large pieces in chocolate. (I made some for Valentine's day, and they were much appreciated. Damsons are easier for this than sloes as they are bigger.) Uses for ginned sloes--in fruit salad, over ice cream, in crumble (but the alcohol all cooks out). The alcohol seems to preserve them fairly well, but I think this is a good time of year to use them--they are cheering, which February needs.

blog: Devon Garden

Mon 22-Feb-10
10:42 am

Sarah-J

North Yorkshire

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Thankyou Barbara, I think I might try a crumble, will post how I get on at a later date Smile

Mon 22-Feb-10
11:18 am

Toffeeapple

North Bucks

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Hello Sarah J and welcome to the Forum. Good to see you taking part. Champagne

I'll try that again!

Mon 22-Feb-10
2:06 pm

danast

Argyll, Scotland

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Hello Sarah-J. You will love this forum. I adore sloe gin but have never made it. Perhaps this might be the year now I am retired. Smile

Old teachers never die, they just lose their class

Wed 24-Feb-10
9:04 am

Sarah-J

North Yorkshire

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Decided to take a gamble last night.

Because I completely forgot to get stores in for pancake day last week I promised my man I'd do something at the weekend, forgot that too.

So last night I made pancakes drizzled with melted chocolate (Lindors left over from Christmas), a generous dollop of extra thick double cream topped with my chopped sloes left from the Gin (these were warmed slightly in a pan with a spoonful of brown sugar). Delicious and a bit morish!

So, I have finally used some of the leftover gin-soaked sloes - hurrah.

Wed 24-Feb-10
10:26 am

Ruthdigs

Devon

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Oh wow - that sounds gooood!

Missed the sloes last year but must get them this year. Danast - deffo make it. Easy; only the cost of the gin and a bit of sugar and the end product is divine! I used cheapo bog standard gin for mine when I made it before. Also now we have a gorgeous sounding (if a bit unhealthy) recipe for the leftovers. Yum! i_am_hungry ")" src="http://suzannemcminn.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/hungry.gif" alt="" />

Beware of the Leopard

Wed 24-Feb-10
12:41 pm

Sarah-J

North Yorkshire

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Yes Danast, definatley have a go this year. I also used bog-standard gin. I stored my sloe gin in the gin bottles used and a couple of le parfait jars.

Then come Christmas time I drained the liquid away from the fruit. Stored fruit in said jars for a rainy day and bottled the lovely Sloe Gin in some old fashioned glass stopper style bottles, making handwritten buff lables and using a bit of ribbon (I used East of India ribbon) to finish it off, perfect gift appreciated by many - of course I saved a bottle for myself, obviously to check the quality! Wine

Along with my sloe gin I made Christmas chutney and oaty 'heart-shaped' biscuits, all presented in their glass jars with tags & ribbon. My family loved them! The first year I've made gifts and I shall definatley do it again, Dad keeps asking for the chutney receipie - not a chance!

Ruthdigs - glad you like the sound of my mish-mash pudding, soooo very unhealthy but divine! Smile

Wed 24-Feb-10
6:03 pm

Toffeeapple

North Bucks

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Mmmm...Soe Gin, lovely stuff. Wine Must make more this year. Doh

I'll try that again!

Wed 24-Feb-10
9:55 pm

danast

Argyll, Scotland

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Does everybody buy sloes or do they know of sloe bushes? Here anyone who knows where a sloe bush is, keeps it a closely guarded secret. Unfortunately I have discovered that sloe gin is drunk in houses with curtains drawn, shifty glances to ascertain no one is outside the window and furtive sips to make sure no one knows you have made sloe gin. No boasting, no sharing, it is so sacred.

AND I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE!!!!!! Yell Cry AND I SO WANT TO BE!

Old teachers never die, they just lose their class

Wed 24-Feb-10
10:23 pm

Danny

Scarborough, England

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LOL, Danast!

No, you don't. Wink

You want to impress the socks off those people by inviting them around for a dram or three or really superb sloe gin, that you are apparently generous with. Wine Wine

What you don't tell them is that you have a secret supply of sloes and damsons sent to Argyll by the wagon load through a secret web site that you could possibly let slip in conversation(but then we would have to kill you Monster ).

Maybe sloes thrive best in slightly lower latitudes. Certainly, back home in West Cork, they were really plentiful and are quite freely available in the roadside hedgerows in East Anglia.

Never knowingly underfed

Wed 24-Feb-10
10:33 pm

danast

Argyll, Scotland

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Much scarcer here Danny and I am so jealous. I have never picked a sloe in my life!!

Old teachers never die, they just lose their class

Wed 24-Feb-10
11:00 pm

brightspark

Wilts

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Plenty of sloes around here, Danast, but at the moment, I think you wouldn't find any up in Scotland - I gather the snow is going to be even deeper tomorrow - you might not even find your way home !!!

Thinking of you. Big_Hug

Women are like tea bags. . .

you never know how strong they are

until they're in hot water.

- Eleanor Roosevelt -

Thu 25-Feb-10
5:03 pm

Toffeeapple

North Bucks

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Our forward thinking Council planted loads of Blackthorn bushes here about 17 years ago so no need to keep your supply bush secret. Danuta, I have never seen sloes for sale!

I'll try that again!

Thu 25-Feb-10
8:19 pm

Sarah-J

North Yorkshire

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That's very true TA, neither have I! Call me jammy but last year I packed my man off to his hedgecutting armed with a tupperware 'just in case'. I remember one night we were 'googling' Damsons and Sloes just so we could identify the berries he'd brought home, we figured we had a mixture of both! Lucky lucky lucky Laugh

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