sloes

There are still some fat, red berries among the hawthorns, though, and blackthorn bushes have their own blue-black berries known as sloes, which make delicious sloe gin.

Plantwatch: Traveller's joy and old man's beard herald Father Christmas 2011

I want any information I can get on varieties of English and black walnuts, hazelnuts, hickories and persimmons, "sloes" and any other varieties of currants.

Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Fifth Annual Meeting Evansville, Indiana, August 20 and 21, 1914

If you could face removing the stones from 50 tiny sloes rather you than me then a sorbet is another possibility.

Nigel Slater's damson recipes 2011

The nose is intense, with notes of liquorice and sloes, and a slightly spicy character.

The Remarkable Rise of Le Pin Will Lyons 2011

Appreciation, too, for those who suggested freezing my damsons and sloes before macerating them in the alcohol rather than pricking them by hand.

Nigel Slater's damson recipes 2011

This year the sloes are abundant – a sign, apparently, of a cold winter to come – and many suggest they need a good snap of frost before you go out to gather them, plastic bag in hand, on a Sunday afternoon.

Nigel Slater's damson recipes 2011

THE RECIPE Prick your sloes, about 450g, with a needle or freeze them and bash with a heavy weight.

Nigel Slater's classic sloe gin recipe Nigel Slater 2010

Around small pastures the leaves on hazel bushes are already turning yellow and, on untrimmed hawthorn and blackthorn, there are reddening haws and purple-green sloes.

Country diary: St Stephens-by-Saltash 2011

I take great pleasure in pricking each berry with a needle in several places then dropping them into a bottle with sugar and gin, but others like to freeze the sloes in a plastic bag then bash them hard with a hammer or rolling pin.

Nigel Slater's classic sloe gin recipe Nigel Slater 2010

Thank you to all of those who have suggested places for gathering sloes, the tiny deep-purple blackthorns with which I flavour my annual batch of sloe gin.

Nigel Slater's damson recipes 2011