| TRADITIONAL
ENGLISH RECIPES SLOE GIN
(and BLACKBERRY
VODKA)
This recipe
was given to me by a countryman back in the 70's. It is a method that
had
been in his family for generations. On moving to Suffolk I have
discovered
another person who makes it in exactly the same way and he uses the
same
method to make blackberry vodka.
Sloe gin is
a liqueur, dark in colour, thicker than normal gin. Ideal for Christmas
and cold nights but it takes at least a year to make. If you can take
two
years to make it then it really makes a fine and smooth drink. In this
recipe you can substitute blackberries for sloes and vodka for gin to
make
blackberry vodka.
This makes
approximately 75ml Gin
Ingredients:
About a pint to a pint and half in volume of sloe
berries, picked when ripe. A
bottle of
the cheapest gin you can find. (Expensive gin just does not seem to
make
the best sloe gin - it seems that the cheaper spirits the better sloe
gin
they make).
1kg or 2lbs
caster sugar (Do not worry if you do not use all of the sugar).
Method:
1. Get a large,
clean jam jar that can hold about 2 pints of liquid with a screw top
lid.
I use large instant coffee jars with success. DO NOT us plastic jars as
these can impart an unpleasant flavour.
2. Wash the
sloe berries and prick each one with a fork.
3. Put a layer
of sloes into the jam jar about 2 inches deep. Cover in caster sugar.
The
sugar will fall down between the berries. Make sure that the layer of
berries
is just covered in sugar.
4. Repeat the
alternate layers of berries and sugar until the berries are about 1 to
2 inches from the top.
5. Now pour
in the gin, letting the air bubbles escape, until the gin is within
½
inch from the top of the jar.
6. Screw on
the lid tightly. Do not shake the jar but turn it upside down for a few
minutes then put it back right way up. Now let nature do its work.
Place
the jar somewhere safe and out of extremes of temperature. Mine live on
top of the kitchen cupboards.
7. Every month
invert the jar for a few minutes then put it back, right way up.
8. After about
6 months top up with fresh gin if needed.
9. After a
year taste the gin. It should be like a liqueur and if you find it
palatable
enough then bottle it. If you can leave it for another year, turning
monthly,
then it will be smoother in taste.
10. Get a wide
mouthed plastic funnel and a clean, empty sherry bottle or similar with
a screw top.
11. Put the
funnel in the clean bottle. Line the funnel with a very fine (non
metallic)
sieve and strain the sloe gin into the bottle. This is to remove the
berries.
12. If you
do not get a full bottle after straining do not top up with gin. If you
do you will dilute the delicate flavour of the sloes.
13. Screw the
top(s) on the bottle(s) you have filled.
14. I have
a pair of glass whisky decanters which have good, close fitting
stoppers.
1 has sloe gin and one has blackberry vodka which make unusual but
beautiful
tasting after dinner liqueurs much appreciated by visitors.
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