My Mum's Sloe Gin Recipe

This is my mum’s recipe, I think it’s the best (but I would say that). Must confess I’ve never made it, as I ‘borrow’ it from her cupboards (sorry mum, if you read this!)

Ingredients
500g of ripe sloes
275g Caster sugar
1 litre of gin

Method
1. Prick the sloes, which is really boring, so instead, Sue pops them in a freezer bag, freezes them overnight and then defrosts the next morning and gives the bag a smash to release the juice…she’s a clever one.
2. Pour the sloes and their juice into a clean sealable bottle or Kilner jar, pour over the sugar and the gin.
3. Seal and shake gently and put the bottle/jar in a cupboard. It needs to be in a dark space not in direct daylight.
4. Shake every day until the sugar is dissolved.
5. Wait at least 3 months (the longer the better, make it now for Christmas, and one for next year).
6. Strain through a muslin (I sometimes use a new j-cloth over a sieve but I’m sure that’s frowned upon).
7. DRINK…

Drink it neat in a warm glass, or with tonic and ice, or pop some in a glass of fizz.

As she’s is the queen is reusing and hates waste, my mum destones the macerated sloes, chops them up and mixes them with melted dark chocolate to make boozy sloe chocolates. Mmmmm…