Sloe Gin

Directions

1. 1
   Put the sloes into a large clean jar or bottle.
2. 2
   Pour in the sugar, followed by the gin.
3. 3
   Secure the container with the lid and give it a good shake to mix up the contents.
4. 4
   Shake daily for the next week to prevent the sugar from settling on the bottom and to help release the sloe juice.
5. 5
   Thereafter, shake and taste once a week for 8 to 10 weeks.
6. 6
   When the sloes have instilled their flavor, pass the mixture through a fine sieve.
7. 7
   Pour the strained liqueur into bottles.
8. 8
   Ideally, you should store sloe gin for 18 months before drinking, so it pays to have a years batch in han.
9. 9
   Ofd course, thats not always possiblebut do try and stash a bottle or two away to savor when its mature and mellow.
10. 10
    And what to do with all those gin-soaked sloes?
11. 11
    You can either eat them just as they are, or remove the pits and serve the fruit with ice cream or fold them into melted chocolate to make delectable petits fours.
12. 12
    In each case, follow the method for sloe gin, but with the following quantities:
13. 13
    Use 1 pound of damson plums, pricked, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 1/2 cups of gin.
14. 14
    Use 8 ounces of blackberries, 8 ounces of cooking apples (peeled and chopped), 1 cup of sugar, and 2 1/2 cups of gin.
15. 15
    Use 1 pound, 2 ounces of cherries, pricked, 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of eau-de-vie, 2 cinnamon sticks, and 3/4 cup of vanilla sugar.
16. 16
    Use 1 pound of hawthorn berries, 1 cup of sugar, and 2 1/2 cups of brandy.