A Taste of Autumn: Homeade Sloe Gin
There’s something rather lovely about making your own sloe gin. It starts with an autumn walk, a basket of tiny blue-black berries and a little bit of patience, and ends with a beautiful ruby-red drink to enjoy through the winter.
Here on Gower, autumn is a wonderful time to head out along the coastline and country lanes with your eyes open for sloes. They grow on blackthorn bushes, often tucked into hedgerows and wild places. Just remember that blackthorn is very thorny, so a good pair of gloves is useful! You’ll find a few bushes on the edge of the woods on the way to Three Cliffs Bay and plenty more on other coastal walks around Gower.
When to Pick Sloes
Sloes are traditionally picked after the first frost of autumn, which helps to soften their skins and allows the fruit to release its flavour into the gin.
But you don't have to wait for a frost. If you've found beautifully ripe sloes earlier in the autumn, simply pop them into the freezer overnight. Freezing helps split the skins and has much the same effect. Look for plump, dark blue berries with a natural dusty bloom on their skins.
A little foraging note: only pick sloes if you're completely confident you've identified them correctly, and forage responsibly, leaving plenty for birds and wildlife. Avoid picking from roadsides or areas that may have been sprayed.
Recipe
This simple recipe is based on the classic BBC Food recipe and is wonderfully easy. The hardest part is waiting for it to be ready ;)
Ingredients
450g ripe sloes
225g caster sugar
1 litre gin
You'll also need a large sterilised jar or bottle with an airtight lid.
Method
1. Prepare the sloes
Wash the sloes thoroughly, remove any leaves or stalks and pat them dry.
You can prick each sloe several times with a clean fork or needle. Alternatively, freeze the berries overnight and allow them to thaw - a much easier option!
2. Add everything to the jar
Put the sloes into your sterilised jar, add the sugar and pour over the gin.
Seal the jar and give everything a good shake.
3. Let the magic happen
Store somewhere cool and dark.
Give the jar a good shake every other day for the first week, then once a week after that. Leave it to infuse for around 8–10 weeks.
You'll gradually see the clear gin transform into a beautiful deep ruby colour.
4. Strain and bottle
Once you're happy with the flavour, strain the gin through muslin or a fine sieve into sterilised bottles.
And that's it. Your homemade sloe gin is ready to enjoy although, like many good things, it will improve with a little more time.
Discover Gower in Autumn
Autumn is one of our favourite times on Gower. The beaches are quieter, the woodland turns golden and there's something wonderfully peaceful about walking the coastline without the summer crowds. After a day of exploring, there's nowhere better to return to than the cabin - warm, cosy and tucked away amongst the trees.