Does anyone know this thorn?

[armchairarborist]

just remember to prick the berries first, also once you drink the bottlefull later in the year you can eat the sloes as they will have lost a lot of the bitter taste:thumbup:

[Lorry thompson]

Will do mate cheers. I got told to freeze them as they split on their own never tried it though

[nepia]

just remember to prick the berries first, also once you drink the bottlefull later in the year you can eat the sloes as they will have lost a lot of the bitter taste:thumbup:

 

 

...or use them again for a second brew; they still have plenty to give.

[Big Bolt]

allways pick them after the first frost or if you cant wait and think some one is going to snafel you supply pop them in the deep freeze for a day .

[tommer9]

suckers of blackthorn will come up like mad from neighbouring plants. have you been prickled by one yet? if it's very quick to go mildly septic then likely to be blackthorn. brilliant firewood:sneaky2:

 

 

I have had gazillions of blackthorn spikes (it must be one of the most abundant species in cornwall) and cant remember ever going septic. I ended up in hospital having one sliced out of my hand and quizzed them about this and apparently the blackthorn itself is not poisonous as is commonly believed, but due to its abundance of thorns and the sharpness, the infection comes from either what is stuck on the thorn- e.g from a previously passing wild animal, or simply the depth that the thorn reaches.

 

Get the berries ripe and plop them in a bottle of gin with a few raisons,a good dose of honey, a few crumbs of cinamon,leave it in a dark place for a few mounths and drink it (after banging it through a filter).

 

You will never be the same after!

 

I think you have to prich the berries with a blackthorn spike first too.

[Joy Yeomans]

if the hedge isnt trimmed or the field grazed its amazing how quickly blackthorn spruts up at the field margins and soon encroaches into the field , if left it goes rampant, but good habitat, we have a field near us thats been allowed to "do its own thing" and its a forest of thick blackthorn - impenetrable, a good hide for local muntjack and allsorts of wild beasties

joy

 

but a real bugger when it goes through the tyre of your tractor, as they are that long and that strong - puncture city

Edited July 1, 2011 by Joy Yeomans
addition

[likeitorlumpit]

or use the used sloes for raisins in flapjacks

[geoff]

or use the used sloes for raisins in flapjacks

 

That sounds the mutts nuts!

[Mesterh]

or, use the used sloe's in dark chocolate.

 

Sloe and damson gin is really nice, I always add a cinnamon stick and a teaspoon of almond essence, makes really nice Christmas drink:thumbup1:

 

Info on the chocolates.

sloe.biz • View forum - Sloe gin chocolates

[likeitorlumpit]

arbtalk- for great cooking recipes:lol: