Green Bullace gin recipe
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Liqueurs | 29 comments
a basket of green bullaces from the hedgerows
I shot home at 4.30 pm, desperate to catch a couple of hours in the garden before dark. As I passed Broad Green I noticed the footpath to the bullace hunting ground. I had checked the bullace situation a few weeks ago. Hedge trimmers had ripped along the hedgerows, chopping the possibility of a great harvest. However, green bullaces are tricky to spot. It was worth pulling in for a quick recce, just in case.
I examined the hedgerows carefully and found these. 500g of bullaces that would have gone over if they’d been left for a few more days. I picked them, finding more and more as my eyes became accustomed to the look of them on the branch. The backdrop was a sky so blue that it was hard to believe that it is already mid October.
I drove through the village and mulled over how I would use them. They could be added to the sharp wild plums in the freezer to make chutney. However these bullaces are so sweet that they cried out to be made into a liqueur.
N.B .The bullaces that we were given from Kent last year were the dark, sharp tasting variety. These need far more sugar than our green bullaces – a small wild greengage. So I cut down the sugar for this brew. We can always add more at a later stage. I didn’t want to oversweeten the grog.
Equipment:
A 1 L litre Le Parfait or Kilner jar.
| Green Bullace gin recipe |
- 300g of green bullaces
- 85g of granulated white sugar
- 0.75 litres of medium quality supermarket own brand gin (I know that loads of people use the cheapest gin but think of the morning after!)
- Wash, destalk and sort your bullaces. Reject and fruit that is squishy.
- Put the bullaces in a sterilised wide necked jar. Sprinkle the sugar over the fruit and top up with the gin.
- Leave the jar on the side in the kitchen and shake until the sugar is dissolved (this will take a few days). Store in a cool place for at least three months before sampling.
- Strain the liquor through muslin after six months. Keep as long as you can bear to. We keep all our grog in the barn. Out of sight, out of mind. Until you go out searching for something that might be lurking in the barn.
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Thank you for prompt reply, I will try Bounty kitchen roll.
Hi Peter,
I am sorry but I don’t know a supplier of felt jelly bags. You can make jelly bags out of virtually anything. I tend to stick to muslin as it will not soak up too much of the delicious grog!
Why not make your own. I am not suggesting that you settle down with a large pair of scissors and half a metre of felt! If you buy a substantial kitchen towel (such as Bounty – it takes weeks to break down) you might find your answer.
Hello, I regularly make sloe gin for Christmas and after decanting the near clear product I like to finally filter out the fines. Decades ago I could buy FELT jelly bags which would speedily produce a crystal clear solutuion. These no longer appear to be available, any suggestions for an equally effective alternative. Thank you.
Hi na,
Thanks for dropping by, glad that you are enjoying the blog.
hello, i was looking for quince recipes today (i have maaaanyyy) to use and an internet search led me to your site! and how happy i am! it all seems so gorgeous, and i must come back to visit again! thanks for the quince help too! have a good day
Hi Pat,
I am learning too! Luckily I often find myself working with people who want to share their knowledge. Swapping ideas – that’s what it’s all about!
Hi Amanda,
Yes making fruit liqueurs is simple and very satisfying. Sampling them is fun too!
Winter is going to be a lot of fun in your house!
I keep learning more and more fascinating things about this country from your posts!!! Thanks again for teaching me something new!!!!
Hi Aimee,
Our green bullaces taste like a greengage and look like a small greengages (these are about 2cms long). The greengage is a member of the plum family but is much sweeter. Bullaces, cheery plums and sloes (also a member of the plum family but very small and bitter tasting) grow wild in our hedgerows.
There are three types of bullaces in the UK. Black, white and green. They all taste different.
I am so lost, yet intrigued. Please, for the Canadian who is totally clueless as to what a ‘bullace’ is, explain further…What is a sister fruit/ berry?
Thanks!