elderberry wine and sloe gin

[slim34]

i've got no pictures because the activity was intense but on saturday me and the missus and the son went out foraging in our local fields. We found elderberries and sloe berries.

We've not made either sloe gin or wine before (so far just beers) so it was pretty exciting to have a go.

Suffice to say I now have two bottles of sloe gin which might be ready for christmas and a bucket of elderberry wine that seems to be fermenting nicely after a couple of days on the go.


Any novice tips for either, particularly the wine?

i was planning to sift out the sloe gin into some fancy bottles in a few weeks, and transfer the elderberry wine to a couple of demijohns pretty soon.

[Seadart]

viewtopic.php?t=6777&highlight=elderberry

Have look here for tips on your wine

[J_P]

Sloe Gin is magnificent. Our recipe is as follows

1 pint Gin
1 Pound Sloes (pricked all over)
0.5 pounds sugar

bung in a bottle and leave for three months minimum. You could cut the sugar sown if you don't want it too sweet. A nip of that warms you to the core!

[Chiltern Brewer]

My Dad and I make some sloe gin most years depending on whether there are many about. I believe it's been a good year for them again.

We normally pick the sloes a bit later in October/November after there have been a few frosts. In fact last year we picked a second lot in December - they were very ripe (you could almost eat them raw) but still sound. This way you avoid having to prick the fruit, instead you just gently squash them after a quick clean. Another option is to freeze and then thaw the sloes.

We use the following ratio - 450g/1lb sloes : 170g/6oz sugar : 1L/35 fl oz

We use demi-johns fitted with airlocks (just in case they start to ferment), and leave the sloes soaking for a few months. I normally strain the sloes from the gin into a clean demi-john in the new year. Then after a few weeks I decant it back into the original gin bottles.

It always amazes me how something so bitter produces such a delicious liqueur. Well worth doing even if you don't normally like gin, very popular with the ladies too!

[delboy]

I've two big jars of damson gin on the go, even after just a few weeks its tasting ecxeptional, still waiting on the first frosts before i go sloe foraging

[Chiltern Brewer]

On making wines... I'd recommend adding some grape juice to boost the vinousity (it's not cheating), and to rack onto a crushed campden tablet per gallon of wine at the end of the fermentation. Then rack again after a few weeks to encourage more sediment to be thrown. Mature for at least 9 months before bottling (longer if a dessert wine), and then mature in bottle for at least another 6 months.

[Chiltern Brewer]

I've two big jars of damson gin on the go, even after just a few weeks its tasting ecxeptional, still waiting on the first frosts before i go sloe foraging

Nice one delboy! I've made damson gin when I could hold of some in the past. I remembering it have a lighter and more subtle flavour than the sloe gin, but that could just be the damsons we picked. Have you tried making blackberry brandy/vodka?

[delboy]

Nice one delboy! I've made damson gin when I could hold of some in the past. I remembering it have a lighter and more subtle flavour than the sloe gin, but that could just be the damsons we picked. Have you tried making blackberry brandy/vodka?

I've heard that after decanting the gin off the damsons they make fantastic desserrts with chocolate and cream etc, i've not tried it though, i will this year.

Not had any liqeurs made with blackberries before does it work well??

[prodigal2]

Not had any liqeurs made with blackberries before does it work well??

Very well. We tend to use whiskey. It gets exceptionally good after a year.

[Chiltern Brewer]

I've heard that after decanting the gin off the damsons they make fantastic desserrts with chocolate and cream etc, i've not tried it though, i will this year.

Not had any liqeurs made with blackberries before does it work well??

I've heard that too but not tried it. My Mum (who doesn't like throwing anything away ) has been known to make jam from spent blackberries. Sloes I wouldn't bother with - straight on the compost heap!

I liked the blackberry brandy (best) and vodka we made - we had a glut of fruit so it came out quite strongly flavoured - some people might find it too strong, but then you could water it down with some tonic water, lemonade or white wine? Bit like cassis perhaps?

[Jimberbob]

You wont be dissapointed with Elderberry wine, it's bleedin' lovely.