Homemade Gift Ideas part 3: How to Make Sloe Gin

My husband and I have been making sloe gin every autumn for a few years now to give as Christmas gifts (and to enjoy ourselves on a cold winter's evening!). It is really simple to make, with only 3 ingredients: sloe berries, gin, and sugar. It doesn't require any cooking, just patience.

First, you have to harvest your sloe berries. The past few years they have been ready to harvest late October-early November. This year they were early in the U.K, so we harvested them in September. Check out our blog 6 Things To Forage in September for more about harvesting sloes.

The tradition says that sloes are best picked after the first frost, which allows them to split, thus softening their skin and helping them to release their juices. In the UK, sloes are generally ready to pick sooner than the first frost. To mimic a "first frost", you can throw a washed and prepared batch in the freezer, which does the same thing. Or some people like to prick each berry with a needle instead and use them fresh. We like to go for the quicker option of freezing.

How do you know if a sloe berry is ripe?

A ripe sloe berry is a little bit squishy when squeezed, but it shouldn't fall apart. If you see sloes that have fallen on the ground under the bush, it's another good sign that the berries are ready to pick.

When is sloe gin ready?

Sloe gin is ready to strain (and then drink!) after 3 months. But we think it tastes better the longer it is left to mature. We usually leave it to sit with the berries in for about 3 months, then let it mature for the next year after we make it (if you can wait that long!). So our batch this year will be used for next years Christmas gifts.

Can I use less sugar or no sugar?

Short answer is yes, but I wouldn't personally recommend. One year we tried a no sugar batch, a half sugar batch, and a full sugar batch. After multiple taste testing we agreed that the full sugar batch was the best. We actually ended up adding more sugar to the sugar lacking batches, but it didn't dissolve quite as well towards the end. Though it's a shame to have to use refined sugar, it's necessary for this recipe in my opinion. All things in moderation!

Without further ado, let's check out our Homemade Gift Ideas part 3: How to Make Sloe Gin!

How to Make Sloe Gin

Ingredients

• 1 litre of gin

• 250 grams of unrefined golden caster sugar

• 500 grams of sloe berries

Supplies needed: 1.5 litre leakproof jar (we use the ones from Ikea), scales, funnel, and glass bottles to decant the finished sloe gin into.

Directions

1. Make sure your berries are rinsed and free of stems if they haven't already been pre-prepared.

2. If using frozen berries, you can skip this step because they should release their juices when defrosted. Poke each berry with a needle or poke all the berries with a fork.

3. Add berries to your jar, with the sugar. Give it a shake with the lid on.

4. Add the gin to the jar, close the lid and give it a really good shake so that you dissolve most of the sugar.

5. Leave in a dark, cool place. For the first 7 days, give it a good shake once a day. Leave it for 3 months.

6. After 3 months, strain the berries out with a cheesecloth and decant into bottles! (It's normal to have some sediment settle at the bottom)