Probably damsons

We have a lot of these. I'm not sure if they're blackthorn fruit or sloes or damsons. I've tried cooking them and they're just horrible - so not an edible form of damson, if that's what they are.

Sloe Berries Prunus Spinosa Flavour your Gin with them !

Fill a jar with them, and cover with sugar and gin. Wait until Christmas, and then strain and enjoy.

Sloe/Damson same thing.

I disagree Mrbarrett, damsons are edible, sloes aren't! You can make your gin go a pretty colour with sloes but you can't make jam or pies with them. Yeurggh!

I agree sloes and damsons are not the same thing. Watch out for the thorns when picking the sloes and use a darning needle, or one of the thorns to prick them before adding to the gin.

Thanks to all replies to blue berry/fruit question. After looking up on interned I think Beattie got it right with Blackthorn bush/tree. Cheers Mickmar

Enjoy your sloe gin :-)

Beattie, you can make jam with them honest. Gran used to make Apple and Sloe jam.

Believe me, I have tried it Pimpernel. And wasted perfectly good sugar trying. I'm not doing it again - whatever I did, it was truly horrible. Perhaps your sloes were really damsons? Or a hybrid? Ours have so much acid in they are totally inedible, no matter what you put with them, or how much sugar you use.

Lol. I am sure Gran never used Golden Delicious. It would have been Bramley.
=================================
Im a sloe fan and have this recipe for sloe jam.
2.5kg sloe's
2kg granulated sugar
500g golden delicious apples

Place the sloes in the deep freeze until fully frozen. This is too soften the harsh flavour that some sloes have.
Place the sloes in a bowl of hot water and leave over night.
wash and grate the apples into a large saucepan, add the sloes and cook until soft .
Add the sugar and cook until reduced by a quater to concentrate the flavours.
Taste for sweetness.
For a smooth jam pass through a sieve using a wooden spoon.
Jar up and seal well.

Hope this helps, have fun,

Paul Young Pastry chef GFL
===================================
Can not see her freezing them either.

What's GFL? Google suggests "Grid For Learning" or "Gamers For Life". I'm a bit bemused.....

Good for leftovers ?

Gone for Lunch?
I knew a chef who made damson crumble without knowing that one of the other kitchen staff had put his sloes in the fridge (or freezer) without telling anybody. The poor man got the sack.

There you are - I told you they're inedible! ;-)

Yup!