Yeah the times are changing for sure. Iād say the oul intensive farming and rules/regulations around hedge trimming, amalgamation of smaller paddocks into larger ones has an effect on foraging in general.
From what I know of the first frost, the berry ripens and softens considerably in response to the cold, making it more amenable to gin making. The freezer is the poor manās approach, I do it, and in truth donāt know if it makes a pile of difference. Iāve never not done it.
Savage. Lovely bottle.
I made one jar with berries I picked in Kerry and one with berries I picked in Ballygunner. Significantly different in color at this stage.
The frost weakens the skin, so freezing them helps burst the skins which releases the juice giving the colour. Alternatively you can pin prick every berry. That was what Iād usually do. But the amount I got this year Iād still be pricking them. So I froze them and gave them a bit of a bash with the rolling pin.
My Waterford butty went out for sloes but took up blackberries on account of their abundance. Made blackberry gin and Iām looking forward to it.
Same recipe as the sloe gin as Iāve fucking tonnes of blackberries?
Blackberry whiskey is a fantastic tipple. Blackberry gin is ok, but not a patch on blackberry whiskey or sloe gin.
Pretty much but you may want to ease up on the sugar unless you want to give yourself diabetes. Fruit to sugar in a bit less than a 2:1 ratio is what Iād recommend. And for heavenās sake, use a cheap whiskey. Tesco or Lidl brand would be more than adequate.
Oh, whiskey instead of gin? Thatās me out. We do not get along
I never heard the Cuckoo this year
This sounds very interesting
Make 2 bottles. Bookmark this post and thank me around the Christmas. Itās fantastic stuff.
Jaysus theyāre all at it this year.
Thatās a great recipe. I have a jar made using that recipe sitting sealed in the press for 3 years at this stage. I might break it out at Christmas.
Thereās no such thing as cheap whiskey any more. The Lidl own brand will set you back as much as a bottle of Jemmy.
Why donāt you make jam? Or blackberry crumble?
No-one bar myself would ate either.
2nd year having a go. Went OK last year, the only regret was that I only made 1 bottle. I had a lovely tradition of having a little shot of it about half an hour before bedtime.
