The market · Fruit · Northern and Central Europe
Sloes
Small blue-black fruit of the blackthorn — so astringent raw it dries the mouth, but steeped in gin with sugar it turns plummy and almondy.
astringent · sour · plummy
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Foraged from hedgerows; the blackthorn's spines are long, so wear gloves.
- Worth knowing
- Freezing does the frost's job and splits the skins — no need to prick each one. Once the gin is poured off, stone the boozy sloes and fold them into chocolate or a game sauce.
