Should you freeze sloes before making sloe gin?
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.
What food goes well with sloe gin?
Beyond game birds, other game meat also works just as well for a sloe gin and food pairing. Robert Mitchell, Executive Chef at Drake & Morgan, says “Sloe gin goes really well with something hearty like venison and roast winter vegetables – think butternut squash, Jerusalem artichokes and mushrooms.
What can I do with sloes after making gin?
Don’t throw away gin-soaked sloe berries once your gin has finished infusing. Instead, turn leftover sloes into moreish chocolates. Remove any remaining pips from your berries, lay them in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and dust with cinnamon and orange zest.
How long will sloes keep in the freezer?
Once frozen, sling the sloes into a clean 1 litre bottle. Funnel in the sugar and then cover with gin. Turn the bottle daily for a week or two, then just turn it (upside down and back again) every week or so. You can drink it after about 2 months but 6 would be better (no-one ever waits that long).
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.
What tonic goes with sloe gin?
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 serve sloe gin?
Sloe gin is traditionally sipped neat or as a hot toddy cocktail according to Joanne, but it works lovely chilled too. ‘I would suggest using ice if drinking in cold cocktails such as a sloe gin and ginger ale,’ Joanne recommends. ‘Or just add a shot to a chilled glass of Prosecco. ‘
What animal eats sloes?
Blackthorn is famed for its purple fruits called sloes. Mature trees can grow up to 7m in height. Twigs form straight side shoots which turn into thorns. It is a foodplant for many caterpillars, including the brown hairstreak.
Do squirrels eat sloes?
Mammals such as dormice, squirrels and badgers love blackberries too! It’s thought that the damper weather later in September will allow toxic moulds to take hold of blackberries so it probably is best to get them now!