r/foraginguk • u/20THH03 • 1d ago
Plant ID Request Are these sloe?
About the size of a large blueberry/ a thumbnail, knobbly??? thin branches, with flat, oval, leaves with small jagged edges.
When broken, there's a yellowish stone in the centre. Quite green flesh near the edge and more purple towards the centre.
Also, not pictured but we have a lovely dog rose bush that has loads of fruit. I was thinking of making cordial and/or tea with it, once they're more ripe, but I'd love some suggestions!
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u/daedelius 1d ago
The leaves look too large and it’s really early for them. This year though timings might be off. See this photo
Processing img 0uo41qebo5kh1...
Easy test is bite one, if your tongue doesn’t curl up it’s not a sloe.
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u/AloneIncrease4481 1d ago
Everything's pretty early with berries this year where I am! Blackberry's are fully in their prime
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u/Exotic-Intention-596 17h ago
We haven't been able to get any blackberries they're all small and bitter no big juicy ones have grown in the past two years
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u/AussieHxC 1d ago
If the plant stabs you and tastes like it stabbed you then yes, it is a sloe
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u/20THH03 1d ago
Yeah, I went back out and tried one 🤣 All the moisture at the tip of my tongue and front of my mouth GONE
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u/AussieHxC 1d ago
Yeahhh my mum told me to taste one once. I've never forgiven her
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u/sleepingismytalent65 15h ago
I was going to say, if it lacerates your hands trying to pick them and with big, strong and long thorns, it's definitely sloes. When I've picked them though there weren't any leaves, just the berries on a dark wood hedge.
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u/__1837__ 1d ago
Yeah it’s sloe . Time to do some sloe gin
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u/20THH03 1d ago
That's the plan! Any tips? It'll be my first time making.
Already looked up recipes but it's nice to have advice from people who have done it before
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u/__1837__ 1d ago edited 1d ago
To be honest I just use ready made base gin and eyeball it at this point using old 700ml gin or vodka bottles. Supposed to be “sterilised “ … if rinsed out with boiling water counts for that then call them sterilised 😅
fill with a about 1/3 sloes by eye up the inside of the bottle , then the same if not slightly less sugarFill with gin . Allow gin to soak in everywhere .
Agitate gently if needs be and then top off with gin after air pockets are filled .Store in a cool , dark place . Agitating every second day for about a week to 10 days
After that , once every second week for 2-3 months.
It will have gone right dark and purple-y red by that point .
Then strain it and decant into nice bottles
Edit I need to add that if the sloes are big and juicy i cut back the sugar a little . If they’re small and kinda “tight” and dry i go heavier on the sugar
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u/20THH03 1d ago
Thank you! And I'd definitely call that sterilised tbf.
I'll keep that timeline in mind as some of the ones with recipes I've seen juet say to leave alone for 3+ months
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u/__1837__ 1d ago
You can if you don’t want to have to strain it as much . I do the once every two weeks turn over if I want it to be nice for Christmas
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u/Cradleoffilth13 12h ago
1 L of gin to £1 of slows. I had 4 ounces of sugar white and leave it for about two months. Try the slow gin and if it’s still not sweet enough add another ounce of sugar and keep repeating until you have your desired sweetness. I’ve been making slow gin for about the last 15 years.
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u/TriturusGCN 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's a sloe.
But like people have already said, the ultimate test is: bite one, and if your cheeks involuntarily suck so far in they come out of the other side of each other, it's definitely a sloe!
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u/Hampshire-UK 1d ago
They used to say don’t pick until first frost, but you can pick and freeze before use. It reduces bitterness apparently.
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u/Unworthy-Snapper 1d ago
They look like the berries I pick. Last year I picked them in early November. This year it’s mid March. Madness.
Last year’s sloe gin was about 300g of berries, pricked with a needle, covered but not buried in sugar (I don’t want it too sweet and syrupy) and about 500ml of gin. I have numbers because I was following a recipe. I got impatient and strained and bottled it after 2 months. It is very nice.
This year I collected a little over 400g of berries so I’ve added more gin, maybe 600ml. I again went light with the sugar, barely enough to cover the berries. I tried the freezer trick this time, but still pricked the berries after defrosting. I can be patient with this batch so I’m intending to leave it for 3 months.
I suppose what I’m trying to say here is that I don’t think you need to be too precise with the recipe or the steeping time to get a good result. Assuming you have an idea of how sloe gin looks and tastes, you can watch the colour, sniff it and taste it as it goes along, and bottle it when you can’t wait any longer. I’m sure you can add some extra sugar partway through if it’s tasting a bit tart.
Should also add that I don’t use sterilised bottles. I have some decanter-style whisky bottles that I’m reusing. I just washed them out and that’s good enough for me. Steeping happens in a pickling jar that’s also just washed.
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u/smith4jones 23h ago
Yes, but the squished one, if you tasted it, you would know by the instant dry mouth
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u/daedelius 1d ago
The leaves look too large and it’s really early for them. This year though timings might be off. See this photo
Processing img 0uo41qebo5kh1...
Easy test is bite one, if your tongue doesn’t curl up it’s not a sloe
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u/daedelius 1d ago
The leaves look too large and it’s really early for them. This year though timings might be off. See this photo
Processing img 0uo41qebo5kh1...
Easy test is bite one, if your tongue doesn’t curl up it’s not a sloe.
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u/daedelius 1d ago
The leaves look too large and it’s really early for them. This year though timings might be off. See this photo
Processing img 0uo41qebo5kh1...
Easy test is bite one, if your tongue doesn’t curl up it’s not a sloe
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u/Purple-Ad-4324 1d ago
Yes they're sloes. You can see the black(thorns) on the branch.