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
Re elderberry gin could I use 2ltr plastic milk bottles to store the mash? also could fn clarify the proportion of fuit to sugar as you state that elderberries are quite bitter and would you use almond essence with it as well.
Hi,
Just found this great site, thanks for all the info.
I have just taken over a rough plot of land on the cliff behind our cottage, and despite all the bad weather and high winds off the sea, I have just managed to pick 1lb of sloes. Looks like I am a couple of weeks too late, as many had shrivelled. I am looking forward to making my first batch!
I have a recipe for rosehip jelly on this site. You could also try roship schnapps http://www.danish-schnapps-recipes.com/rose-hip.html oe even haw schnapps.
Been on the forage and this year as Nigel stated there is a distinct lack of sloes. However there a good crop of rosehips and haws so does anyone know a use for these fruits. Elderberries in my part of the world are slow in ripening so am still hoping to give the elderberry gin/vodka a go
Hi ChrisB
Thanks for your tips!
I’m sorry that I missed your comment. I would imagine that damson whisky would be on the same wavelength ad blackberry whisky. We have a recipe here https://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=422
Hi Carol
Sorry, I don’t have a recipe. But why not use the sloe gin one. Both are very bitter fruit.
Hello Nigel
I think that it’s the weather. Warm and early blossom and then sharp frosts destroyed this so very little fruit.
Hello Monique and Judy
It’s a bad damson year. Perhaps next year will be better.
It’s a great year for apples though. I might have a go at making apple vodka.
Hi Simon
Hope that the grog turns out well!
Hello David
I’d be really interested to hear how your elderberry vodka turns out.
Hi Abbie
The sloe will be OK but will not taste as strong so you’d need to use more. Personally I’d double the quantity.
Hi Eddie
Thanks!
Hello Paul
Yes the crab apples should work well, I think. Vodka might be better for them as it’s cleaner tasting – just a thought.
Hi Heather
I wouldn’t worry about a little sediment. Stand the bottle at a slight tilt for three days and decant like port.
Hi Pete
Thanks for your advice.
Shame about the damsons.
Love the idea of elderberries in the crumble!
I still have rhubarb in the garden!!
Oh, and one more thing… a friend recommended RHUBARB VODKA to me this April (usual proportions, cut stems to c5cm, bit more sugar maybe to taste). I had a go and after 2 months it was a great success – the essence of early summer in a shot glass! It has gone down very well with various “I don’t really like vodka” types and has just run out. No need to freeze or strain the final product – just put it in the fridge and pour carefully. Top stuff. I’ll be making it every year – unlike damsons, there’s never a shortage of local rhubarb.
Dave, I’d like to know how the elderberry vodka comes out – I fear I’ve left it too late here. The gin is unusual, but rather good.
I put elderberries in apple/blackberry crumbles or desserts (wait until they’re hanging down under the weight of the juice) and this year added my 2007 damson vodka fruit to the mix, with excellent results. Thoroughly recommended – although not fist date fodder, as a spitoon is required for the pips…
I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who has found it difficult to find damsons this year. Have looked all over my usual spots and local markets. I found some advertised as “dasmuns” on Borough Market in London at £15 a kilo (!) but held back. Waitrose were selling some Tiptree commercial damsons (£2.99 for 500g) , but the season is so short, these have now disappeared as well. Shame. I managed to put a lb or so into my previously mentioned FESTIVE SPIRIT (damson, elderberry, blackberry, cinnamon, clove, allspice, gin) but otherwise, no damson cheese or vodka this year I’m afraid. Will have to hope the sloe harvest comes to the rescue!
Heather, it’s normal for the sediment to remailn, but you’ve done what you can with the filter paper. Once the bottle has been upright for a day, you can pour off the liqueur without it tainting your precious nectar. Just don’t be too picky – like a good wine, a bit of sediment is the sign of a true homemade quality product!
Why, after filtering my Damson Gin through coffee filter papers (twice) is there STILL a cloud of sediment in the bottom? Any ideas please?
What a brilliant site. Just came across it. We have loads of sloe and elderberry bushes near us(Co. Fermanagh)Made Hedgerow Jelly last year and it went down a storm. Cant wait to try sloe gin as well as elderberry gin. Have a crab apple tree(Malus) in my garden which I use for Crab Apple jelly. Could you make a Crab Apple gin the same way? Cheers Paul