Two recipes: Wild Damson Gin and Sloe Gin recipes
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Liqueurs | 713 comments
Wild damsons are a beautiful rich dark colour
Unlike sloes, wild damsons are hard to find. For every thirty wild plum trees there may be just one wild damson tree. When I spot wild damsons in the hedgerows, they are harvested into a special bag.
These, and the diminutive bullace, are the kings of hedgerow fruit. These tiny fruit make such an irresistible liqueur that overnight guests have actually turned down Danny’s famous cooked breakfast, and gone back to bed to sleep off the excesses of the night before.
Our damson and sloe gin is not the thick ultra sweet variety. We prefer the sugar to enhance rather than shield the flavour. Every three months or so it’s sampled and, if necessary, topped up with sugar. Usually no extra sugar is needed.
We try to keep our damson and sloe gin well away from the drinks tray! Each year we make a lot of fruit gin and vodka (more recipes to follow, in time). Sloe gin is the big craze at the moment around here, as sloes are more plentiful.
Here are our recipes for both. We are also starting experimenting with sloe gin see this post for details
Tips and tricks:
- Make more than you need the first year, so you can compare different vintages. This liqueur does improve over time.
- Some people drain the grog through muslin after a couple of months, to clarify the liqueur and bottle. We don’t bother as one old soak tipped that, once the gin is drunk, you can pour medium sherry on the fruit and start all over again! The latter is devilish and drinkable within three months. We have a recipe for this in our wine and gin section.
- Keep your fruit gin away from the light as this will maintain the colour. Unless it is in a dark green or brown bottle. Wrapping it in brown parcel paper will keep out the light.
- Make notes on a label of your fruit gin/vodka /sugar ratio and stick it onto the bottle(s) so that you have a record, if you make a particularly good batch. We note our responses as the grog matures. Yucky after sixth months can be to die for in a year (you will probably not remember without notes). Notes seem boring when you are making the grog but they are so worthwhile when you start again the next year. It won’t be long before you will get a feel of what works well for your taste (and the notes will come into their own).
- Adding almond essence to sloe gin lifts it from good to great. I haven’t tried this with the damson gin but return in a years’ time for our review.
- Don’t kill the liqueur with too much sugar at the start. Use the amount above to start your sloe or damson gin and then every couple of months take a tiny sip. At this time add more sugar if it is too sharp for your taste.
- Gin v Vodka? Vodka can be used as the spirit for these recipes. Although I’m a vodka drinker, we tend to stick to a gin base for our fruit liqueurs.
- A good damson gin can be made from ordinary damsons available in the shops. As they are bigger you would need to put them into a larger Le Parfait jar (I’d use a 2 litre size).
- People have been picking sloes from September 1st around here. Some people say that you shouldn’t pick sloes until after the first frost. This can be circumvented by putting your sloes in the freezer overnight. We don’t bother with either method and always have great results.
- This year we have made up a number of small (1lb honey jars) of sloe gin to give as Christmas presents.
| Wild Damson Gin and sloe gin Recipes |
Recipe Type: Liqueurs
Prep time: 15 mins
Total time: 15 mins
Ingredients
- Wild damson gin:
- 1lb/454gm of washed wild damsons
- 6 ozs/168gm of white granulated sugar
- 75cl bottle of medium quality gin
- Sterilised 1 litre (at least) Le Parfait jar or wide necked bottle with stopper/cork
- Sloe Gin:
- 1lb/454gm of washed sloes
- 4 ozs/112gm of white granulated sugar
- 75cl bottle of medium quality gin
- Sterilised 1 litre (at least) Le Parfait jar or wide necked bottle
- 1-2 drops of almond essence
Instructions
- Wild damson gin:
- Wash damsons well and discard any bad or bruised fruit. Prick fruit several times with a fork and place damsons in either a large
- Kilner/Le Parfait jar or a wide necked 1 litre bottle.
- Using a funnel, add the sugar and top up with gin to the rim.
- Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved and then store in a cool, dark place until you can resist it no longer (leave for at least three months, we usually let it mature for a year). If you are planning to drink this after 3 months, have a nip afetr a month, and top up with sugar to taste.
- Some people strain the grog (through muslin/jelly bag) after 3 months and bottle it, leaving it mature for six months. We strain and bottle after a year. Don’t leave the straining process any longer than a year; leaving the fruit in too long can spoil the liqueur, as we found to our cost one year.
- Sloe gin:
- Wash sloes well and discard any bruised or rotten fruit. Prick fruit several times with a fork and place sloes in either a large Kilner/Le Parfait jar or a wide necked 1 litre bottle. I put several sloes in my palm to prick them rather than picking them up one by one.
- Using a funnel, add the sugar and top up with gin to the rim. Always open sugar bags over the sink as sugar tends to get caught in the folds at the top of the bag.
- Add the almond essence.
- Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved and then store in a cool, dark place until you can resist it no longer (leave for at least three months, we usually let it mature for a year).
- Some people strain the grog (through muslin/jelly bag) after 3 months and bottle it, leaving it mature for six months. We strain and bottle after a year.
Leave a reply
Hi all,
I was lucky to get damsons from a neighbor’s tree here in North Carolina, USA where damson plum preserves are a local tradition.
I’ve made some damson preserve and now would like to try damson gin. Unfortunately I froze the damsons before thinking to wash them. I think they’ll burst if I pour water on them while still frozen; and they may just disintegrate if I thaw them first, then try to wash the.
I feel so silly, but at the time I was in a hurry to pop them into the freezer before I went away on vacation!
Does anyone have suggestions for how to get the plums washed? Or should I just go “dirty” and let the alcohol provide the sanitation? Hate to think of the little buggies and spiders that might end up in the finished product. Little extra protein, I guess.
Hi,
Just wondering,has anyone else think there is a shortage of sloes this year, i’ve benn to check my usual favorite bushes and they are all quite bare – anybody else having the same problems?
Is it the weather?
Have been unable to find any sloes this year in Norfolk, Northumberland (both places whilst on hols), or in usial sights here in N Yorkshire.
Have seen earlier comments about elderberry gin, has anyone tried it successfully? If so, please let me have the recipe. Happy slurping!
Carol
here are a few ideas….. and I was also hoping to gain some advice.
1. Slider – when you have taken the gin out of the bottle, fill the bottle (sloes still in) with Scrumpy Jack or any string cider…makes a great warm or cold drink, think ‘punch’
2.Try rasberry vodka… similar principle but be cautious (if you are in a rush put the whole lot in a blender, wizz a few times until all broken up, pop in the cellar and shake every day for 2 weeks… strain until clear)
And in return… all I ask for is a guide to make Damson Whiskey, having tried it on a local shoot I am keen to have a go myself? Thought?
Hi Marshall
Thanks for the information on Kea plums!
Hello Hil
You are so lucky to have found a damson tree.
Hello Victoria
Great news. I’m sipping some 2007 damson vodka as I type this!
Hi Steve
If You remove the sloes it will keep for years. Keeping the sloes in the bottles can spoilthe freshness of the grog and give it a musty taste.
Good idea to use dark bottles as the grog will keep a good red colour.
Damson gin/vodka is well worth making and can be glugged far sooner. Hic.
Hi there,
I’ve been putting away (hiding really!) a litre of sloe gin each year for a while now. A sudden thought- how long will it kep for – dark bottles kept in celar?
Very poor crop of sloes here in Northern Germany – will be looking for damsons & trying out your recipe. Many thanks
MAde this last year and it was gorgeous. Came out really smooth!
Fantastic site only just found it, thank you. I shall be making damson gin and other damson recipes as we have a huge well loaded damson tree on our allotment plot.
I’m really looking forward to trying out the end results.
Really great to be able to read comments from other users.
Kea plums are I believe named after the village of that name near Truro. They are found throughout West Cornwall. My young nephew Dan has a tree in his garden and since his parents don’t want them I get the lot each year.
Thanks for the info on Redcurrant gin.
Hello Rosalind
It all seems to depend on late sharp frosts. Try looking in a well protected spot and you may find some.
Hi Sarah
I’m afraid that I can’t help you here. Have you tried consulting Richard Mabey’s food for free?
Hi Marshall
I’ve not heard of kea plums, do they grow in the UK?
Red currants can be used in gin or vodka and make an excellent liqueur. Use our raspberry gin recipe for fruit/sugar ratio.