The latest batch of damson gin is now sat on top of the fridge and should be ready in time for Christmas. It's a good job too as we managed to glug our way through the last of 2007's vintage at the weekend in a post baptism gin supping frenzy!
The recipe is fairly straightforward and consists of:
About 2.5 litres gin
1.5kg pricked and washed damsons
375g caster sugar
All popped into a 5l demi-john. I can never remember year on year exactly how much goes in the jar and usually end up plopping any left over damsons and topping up with gin as the original recipe fills the demi-john by about 3/4's.
I love watching the pinkish syrup start to rise from the damsons a few days later before I eventually take the plunge and give whole lot a good shake. I try to shake the bottle every day or so to ensure that everything is getting mixed together well. It should be ready to bottle just before Christmas and usually add some more sugar to taste. I don't like it too syrupy; just tart enough please! The amount of sugar largely depends on how ripe the damsons were to begin with and I just tend to put an evening aside to keep tasting as the sugar is gradually added. I definitley don't recommend doing this in the morning unless you wish to advertise that you are an old soak or indeed don't care!
The sloes should be ready soon and will be subject to the same recipe, again adding sugar to taste at Christmas prior to bottling.
All in all, looking forward to a very "merry" Christmas! Hic!
