Sloes

[cornish seagull]

Spent most of yesterday walking miles around the Cornish country side looking for Sloes to make sloe gin for Xmas. Not one Sloe to be found. Is there a Sloe shortage this year or am I missing something?

 

[vegster]

Could be just a bad year, lots of fruit growers are complaining if a very poor harvest. We had an early, hot spring which brought the flowers out followed by a cold windy snap which put the Bees off.

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

i reckon the birds are gathering berries and that before the onset of an apocalyptic winter.


birds know stuff ya know

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Got load on my land, just it's near Battle so a bit far for you to come and get some

 

[cornish seagull]

Got load on my land, just it's near Battle so a bit far for you to come and get some

On my way, see you in 8hrs!!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

On my way, see you in 8hrs!!

I'll but the kettle on

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Its been a terrible year for most fruit, caused by the dry winter, cool spring, and months and months of rain into the early summer. Plus, for some plants we got gales around the time they were in flower, which stripped them.

 

[Notters]

There are plenty but it's about 2 months too early to pick them.

 

[Uncle C]

I gather this is a sloe news day.

 

[cloud]

I gather this is a sloe news day.

It's not just the sloes - I only had two apples on my tree this year compared to 100 last year, and virtually no plums, compared to thousands of the bu****s last year.

 

[Uncle C]

It's not just the sloes - I only had two apples on my tree this year compared to 100 last year, and virtually no plums, compared to thousands of the bu****s last year.

Disappearing plums can often be due to cold weather.

 

[Eggmundo]

YES! I am desperate to pick some sloes but 1- I have no idea what they look like and 2- I have no idea where they are.

Anyone in the lancing/shoreham/worthing area able to help?

I did see a lady picking 'things' on the side of the A27 yesterday but as I was travelling at speed I couldn't ask her what she was picking. I reckon it was Sloes but Wifey reckons blackberries.

'Blackberries' I exclaimed..'What use is there in picking Blackberries.'

How we laughed.

 

[perseus]

Lancing Clump has sloes. I did not have any Gin so I used Vodka. Don't. It is a bit sickly for my taste.

 

[cloud]

YES! I am desperate to pick some sloes but 1- I have no idea what they look like

They look just like blueberries

 

[Titus]

Lots around here too. Never pick before October though.

 

[Notters]

Lots around here too. Never pick before October though.

I usually wait till the first week in November. You want them SQUISHY.

 

[CP 0 3 BHA]

We've got hardly any round my way after a bumper crop last year. A frost seems to have killed off the forming flowers at the wrong moment in the spring.

 

[cornish seagull]

Lots around here too. Never pick before October though.

Quite a few people have commented about picking in October, apparently they are better after a frost! We have very few frosts in Cornwall so would freezing them be the next best thing?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

They look just like blueberries

... except that any blueberries that grow this side of the Atlantic are commercially produced. If you are looking for a European species that sloes look like, I'd suggest bullaces.

In a good year, we have both sloes and bullaces growing in abundance in the hedgerows out our way. This isn't a good year, though.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Quite a few people have commented about picking in October, apparently they are better after a frost! We have very few frosts in Cornwall so would freezing them be the next best thing?

Yep. The point of the frost is to break down the skin. You'll still need to prick them before immersing them in the gin, though.

But you also need to give them time to mature on the bush. September is far too early to pick them.