Foraging for Sloes

An incredibly sour fruit, but a favourite among gin makers, Sloes are a common sight among the hedgerows during the Autumn season, and a popular wild edible.

Sloes are the fruit of the Blackthorn, a thorny shrub which is commonly found in hedgerows and woodland edges. A member of the prunus (or plum) family, these blue/black fruits look just like miniature plums, although they are typically the last in the family to ripen. If you have ever eaten a Sloe straight from the branch, you'll know they aren't to everyone's taste, but they do have their uses and are a favourite Autumn wild edible for many foragers.

How to Identify Sloes

Blackthorn trees are often the first to flower in Spring, usually blooming around March, providing an essential source of food for early and eager pollinators. Their delicate blossoms are white, with five petals and, while they are a very welcome sight after the long Winter months, the harsh weather conditions are that time of the year, can damage the blossoms and cause fungal growth, effecting the chances of a good crop later on in the year. The blossoms develop into fruits with a thick blue/black skin, and they typically begin to ripen around mid-September. The fruits contain a single, large stone in the centre, similar to the size of a Cherry pit. The leaves of the Blackthorn tree are green, oval in shape, and have delicately serrated edges.

How and When to Gather Sloes

Sloes take all Summer to develop fully, and typically begin to ripen around the middle of September, although this could be later or slightly earlier depending on the weather. A hot, dry Summer could mean they ripen early, so its a good idea to start checking them ripeness from the beginning of September.

They were traditionally gathered after the first frost, and many foragers still prefer to wait for the frosts before gathering their Sloes, but as the frosts can be quite unpredictable, if you're hoping for a good harvest, its best not to rely on them! Gathering after the first frost is said to sweeten the fruit, but this can be easily replicated by placing the fruit in a freezer for no less than 24 hours.

Be mindful of where you place your hands when gathering Sloes and Blackthorn trees are known for their long, sharp thorns. If you suffer a scratch from a Blackthorn thorn and it breaks the skin, be sure to get it cleaned as soon as you can as the thorns can carry bacteria which could lead to infection.

How to Make Use of Sloes

If you have ever had the misfortune of eating a Sloe straight from the branch, you will known that they are not a fruit for snacking on or mixing in with your morning porridge! They are incredibly sour and are known to suck all of the moisture from your mouth, but they still have a few favourite uses amongst foragers.

Perhaps their most famous use is that they are often used to flavour gin. Over 200 years ago, the fruits were added to homebrewed gin in an attempt to improve the flavour, along with copious amounts of the newly widely available sugar, and family recipies were said to be closely guarded secrets. Sloes remain to this day one of the most popular botanicals used to flavour gins, and this is something we can even do at home with a bottle of dry gin, granulated sugar and some foraged Sloes from the hedgerow!

If you find yourself with a particular abundance of Sloes, they can also be used to make jam. You will need to take the time to remove all of the stones, and again, you'll be adding a copious amount of sugar to sweeten the sour fruits! Try mixing them with other seasonal fruits like Blackberries or Elderberries for a slight variation.

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Sloe Gin

700ml Dry Gin

250g Granulated Sugar

Approx. 250g Sloes

1. Prepare your fruits by washing them and removing any leaves, stalks and other debris which might be clinging to them.

2. Freezing your sloes for a minimum of 24 hours before use is an optional extra step, but it will help to improve the flavour and sweeten the berries.

3. Place your sloes into a large wide-mouth jar, filling to half way. Opt for splitting the mixture evenly between several smaller jars if you don't have large jars.

4. Carefully add the sugar, and fill the remainder of the jar with gin. Seal with a lid and give the jar a good shake to distribute the mixture evenly.

5. Store in a cool, dark place, and leave for 2-3 months at least. Remember to give the jars a good shake every now and then.

6. Strain the fruit from the gin using a sieve and a muslin cloth, and decant into clean, sterislised bottles. It will be ready to drink but the longer it is left, the more the flavour will improve!