The Perfect Sloe Gin
Autumn is here and our hedgerows in England are bursting with natural dyestuff! Last weekend we discovered an old, overgrown road here in Oxfordshire.
It is a dyer’s paradise full of rosehips, elderberry, yellow dock, and sloes. We created a natural pink dye with the sloes but wanted to share with you our favourite recipe for Sloe Gin, which comes from Sipsmith and is so simple to make!
MAKES 1 BOTTLE
Harvest sloes when ripe.
Freeze sloes for a minimum of 24 hours.
Place the frozen sloes into a wide-mouthed lidded jar – enough to fill halfway.
Pour a good-quality gin into the jar – enough to fill to the top.
Leave for 3 months, turning the jar a couple of times – we promise it’s worth the wait!.
Take out a sample to taste.
Strain the sloe gin and add sugar syrup a little at a time until it reaches your preferred sweetness. Here’s the syrup recipe: simply combine equal measures of sugar and water in a saucepan over a low heat. Warm the mixture until the sugar dissolves, then allow it to cool. If you prefer a higher-strength sloe gin, it is possible to make syrup with three-parts sugar and two-parts water to reduce dilution. If you decide to do this, only add a little syrup at first, as it sometimes requires a fraction of the quantity of sugar called for in standard recipes.
Sip neat!