Fancy sipping some homemade Sloe Vodka this Christmas? It’s such an easy tipple to make. It is also a wonderful homemade food gift to give to your favourite people.
This homemade Sloe Vodka is growing my stash of home grown booze a treat!
It would seem that my Hedgecomber real foodies do love a boozy homemade treat. My alcohol-based recipes do go down well with you all! I can’t think why?! ;)
My blackberry flavoured vodka is still in the brewing phase, although it is now ready to strain (and taste test!).
And whilst our blackcurrants were an epic failure this year, I did still manage to lay down one lonely bottle of my homemade blackcurrant cassis for the darker months.
There’s something very olde worlde about cracking open a bottle of a hedgerow brew that you picked yourself to share with loved ones on a cold winters night. At the same time, keeping the best bottle from each batch, until it is somewhat dusty and forgotten is the ultimate foragers tax.
Homemade Sloe Vodka
In which case, let’s get you all sorted with this one! In case you want to brew up a batch of this homemade slow vodka yourself, the recipe simply couldn’t be any easier.
First up, you need to get your wellies on and hit the hedgerows.
When should you pick sloes?
Some folk say that you ‘should only pick sloes after the first frost’. As I live here in Cornwall (UK) where the climate tends to be quite mild, the sloe harvest is almost over by the time that comes around. The other option is to pick them and freeze them before using them. A quick check of the internet as to why this is recommended tells me that one theory is that it softens the skin which then splits and allows the juices to come out, the other is that freezing sloes makes their flesh sweeter.
When you know that you’re foraging for wild sloes, you’re looking for blackthorn bushes. They are pretty easy to spot at this time of year. They tend to have vicious little inch-long spikes on the branches, and clusters of black fruit that look like the ones in the photograph below:
There’s probably a reason not to use those wrinkly imperfect fruits, but I gather them all. Or at least all that I can reach.
3 simple steps to a sloe vodka recipe
I almost feel like I’m cheating when a recipe is this simple!
Combine your wild sloes with vodka and sugar in a jar. Store them for about a month. Then strain and store in sterilised bottles where they will sit happily until you can bear to break into your stash!
Sloes are part of the plum family, so inside that black skin with a whitish bloom, you’ll find an orangey-yellow flesh and a single flatish stone.
On getting your stash home, wash them well and dry in a clean tea towel. You ‘should’ pick sloes after the first frost, but frosts aren’t all that common down here in Cornwall, so I popped mine in the freezer until I was ready to make this quick video…
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Freeze and/or prick the sloes to allow the juice out. Pile into one (or more) sterilised glass jars.
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Tip in the sugar, pour in the vodka and stir a little.
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Pop the lid on tightly and store somewhere cool and dark, stirring/shaking occasionally.
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After 2-4 weeks, strain off the vodka and seal in sterilised bottles. The alcohol content means that it will keep indefinitely.
Corina says
I remember my aunt used to pick sloe berries to put in alcohol. I’ve never tried making any myself but would quite happily drink it!
Kate Hackworthy (@veggie_desserts) says
I’ve had such a lovely sloe gin that a friend made. I really must try making your sloe vodka! Great video.
Andrea ThePetiteCook says
This vodka looks absolutely gorgeous (and I’m sure it tastes amazing too!). I never tried making it myself, but it’s definitely got to try it soon!
fabfood4all says
I have never made my own booze but am inspired by your post and I shall be looking out for sloes which I’ve no doubt walked passed without knowing!
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
With the cooler weather approaching, I could certainly warm up to this liquid jewel!
christinegalvani says
Great tutorial on making your own Sloe Vodka! It looks awesome!
Kate says
Oooh I need to try making my own sloe vodka. Love the video :)
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Yum! Love that this drink came from berries that you picked!
All That I'm Eating says
I really like the sound of sloe vodka but every year I always make sloe gin…maybe I should make both this year…you know, just for quality purposes.
Jane Sarchet says
Oh absolutely! and I think you should invite me round for the quality control sesh ;) :D
Alan Jones says
Jane.ill make some just to invite you round
Jane Sarchet says
Deal!
foodhuntersguide says
I’ve never heard of this before but I would love to try it.
Dorothy Reinhold says
Great video! I would love to make this as gifts…
Gary Molloy says
Been making sloe vodka for 5 years now and it is an easy tipple to make.truely unique taste and a smooth drink.
Jane Sarchet says
Hard to beat on a cold winters night huh?!
Thanks for stopping by Gary
Jane x
Sharon Hyams says
I started my sloe vodka on 30th October but have just been reading that I should have kept in a cool dark room. I have had mine away from the window in my kitchen as I wanted to be able to see it to remind me to shake it. Have I ruined it?
I was so looking forward to putting it in little bottles and giving as Christmas presents. I would be very grateful for your views.
Jane Sarchet says
You should be absolutely fine Sharon :)
Steve says
Hello Jane,
Can I use honey instead of sugar?
Thanks
Steve
Jane Sarchet says
Hey Steve! Honestly, you’ve got me there. I’m going to guess on yes, as honey is used as a preserving agent like sugar, and the alcohol will offer more preserving powers.
However if anyone knows any different please let us know?
And Steve if you try it – would you let me know how it goes?
Jane x
Sonja says
Made a bottle blackberry vodka and a bottle of sloe gin. Blackberry vodka is lovely, haven’t cracked the sloe gin open yet, made both in October 2017, using your recipe. Have just put a sloe vodka to marinate, hope it’s as good as the blackberry. Thanks for the recipe.
Jane Sarchet says
Sonja, that’s so awesome to hear! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a message, it truly made my day! I’d be interested in hearing whether you prefer the sloe gin or the sloe vodka (and I think I need to do a little taste test of to two too!)
Jane x
Jannie Lloyd says
I’m in central France and this year the hedgerow fruits have been overwhelmingly fantastic.
I’ve got a couple of litre’s of Sloe Vodka and Sloe White Rum on the go. Only got a couple of litres of each as funds run out before the fruit did. This is the first time I’ve tried sloes with white rum. Hope it turns out OK.
Also got Damson Rum and Damson vodka so we’ll be set up for Christmas and (hopefully) well into the New Year.
Jane Sarchet says
Sounds just perfect Jannie :)