Sloe Gin All Done

Just before I went away for a short break in North Yorkshire I managed to bottle up the sloe berries that were in my freezer. Just half fill a litre Kilner jar with the sloes, quarter fill with sugar, then fill to the top with gin. If you don't get enough sloes just use a smaller jar using the same method. You can use brandy or vodka too, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall prefers using vodka to gin because he says its the best way to enjoy the pure flavour of the sloe berries. Gin of course will mask the flavour to some extent because of the juniper content. Don't forget to prick the sloes with a pin to make sure you get as much of the juice and colour into the gin. Store in a dark place for a minimum of 2 or 3 months. Its probably a good idea to strain the juice through a muslin cloth to get rid of any bits of berry flesh that are floating in the gin.