You might find windfall fruit on your adventures, or snaffle some sloes to make a gin – a bottle has great gift potential.
Makes 34 servings
You will need
600ml good quality gin
150g light brown muscovado sugar
Plums or damsons (about 450g, halved, stoned and sliced; you could also use bullaces which are in season from October to November), or sloes (approx 500g, each pricked with a fork; like rosehips, sloes should be picked after the first frosts)
How to make
1 Pour the gin into a large sterilised jar and add the sugar. Stir well until the sugar has dissolved.
2 Wash the fruit and add to the jar then cover with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark place for about 3 months, stirring weekly.
3 When the gin has developed a good, fruity flavour, strain it through muslin, discard the fruit and pour into sterilised bottles. Store for at least 1 month before drinking.
4 Serve the gin chilled, over ice. For a long drink, top up a shot of the fruity gin with apple juice or elderflower tonic, or add a dash of cherry brandy and pour in champagne for a cocktail.
Cook’s note: Sloes are tarter than plums/damsons, so you may want to increase the sugar to 225g. If you don’t want to prick the sloes, you can freeze them overnight to split the skins.
Tipple taken from the Four Seasons cookbook, a collection of recipes that champion British ingredients. Available from dairydiary.co.uk. Our Gathering pages feature recipes by Matt Long and photography by Jonathan Cherry.
The Hedgerow Fruits Gin is just one of the recipes from our October Gathering pages, which we’ve called ‘To The Woods!’ The ideas are inspired by Scouting adventures and include Pickled Elderberry Capers, Hot Rosehip Drink, Potato Salad, White Cabbage Sauerkraut, and Walnut & Tahini Brownies, as well as plenty of things to make, do and play out in the woods this autumn.
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