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How do

Okay so picked - well shaken down from HUGE tree - about 500g BIG purple fruits

As far as I could see no spines - tree is BIG - taller thatn house easily aith fruits spaced out on branches.

1. Can i treat as sloes etc and Gin them

2. are the very ripe ones with slight puckering to the skin - but still soft to touch and juicy ok to use?

Cheers

You can preserve most fruit in strong alcohol but damsons won't taste like sloes. Not a great sloe gin drinker myself, but with sloe gin I don't think you are expected to eat the sloes, so if you are only flavouring the gin then I don't think the puckering of the fruit will be a problem. If you are intending to eat the 'pickled' fruit, which is an option if the damsons(?) are not too sharp as sloes, then I would only choose nice smooth skinned ones. Some people add a bit of sugar if intending to eat the fruit, and obviously pack the jar with fruit.

Thanks for your reply

Yes just using to flavour gin so actual fruit not so importamt (tho i believe the fruit is amazing with ice cream afterwards)

Okay just need to find a wide neck bottle now to fit the great things into!!

Cheers

I did Damson vodka a couple of years ago (same sort of recipe)- very nice