It’s been a good year for sloes near me and I’ve already got a few bottles of sloe gin infusing in the cupboard. You are supposed to leave it for a year to mature, but in our household it often doesn’t last until the New Year.
So this year I’ve made a bit more, in the hope that when the novelty has worn off (it hasn’t yet) there’ll be a rich batch for next Christmas. In the midst of winter there’s nothing nicer than a glass of purple red sloe gin and a real log fire. For medicinal purposes, you understand.
This year my new raspberries produced a small crop of berries. Each one a capsule of intense flavour and aroma. Every raspberry was picked and devoured, fresh and ripe, but I also froze a few at a time as they matured and filled one bag in the freezer. The dilemma has been how to enjoy these amazing, aromatic fruit and savour their flavour. So I’ve decided to make some raspberry gin. I only need a cupful or two of the precious fruit and some sugar to make what I suspect will be fabulous winter liquor.
I’ve made blackberry gin before which is divine, but I think this will be the winning formula. I’ll keep you posted.
