hedge Posted September 2, 2016 Report Share Posted September 2, 2016 Anyone got any news on their local sloe crop this year? I checked a lot of my local bushes last weekend and sorry to say that they look a little sparse. I should be seeing fruit by now and not a lot to be seen. I'm also interested in damsons and I'm not sure how they are doing this year either. Seen some locally but last year seemed to be a bumper crop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted September 2, 2016 Report Share Posted September 2, 2016 (edited) I have a few nice sloes in my wood but not many. I also have a wild damson ... I say wild because it just appeared alongside a pond in the wood 15yrs ago and has been producing enough to pour some vodka or gin over for the last five years. On the subject of 'shoot drinks', see if you can trace a Bulus plum tree, little green plums like small greengage. They are ripe when you shake a branch and they fall off. Like honey and go very well with vodka and a double handful of dark soft brown sugar un a big sweet jar :-) I also have what I call a damazene tree in my orchard, large damsons which split clean like a Victoria plum. Now they make goodly sipping fluid as well, gin or vodka and last year did some in Bacardi rum ...nice!! Have anyone with a fig tree ...the're ripe about now and half a dozen chopped up and again a double handful of soft brown sugar and vodka go well together. Edited September 2, 2016 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted September 2, 2016 Report Share Posted September 2, 2016 Ours are fully loaded this year, looks like a bumper crop down this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDog Posted September 2, 2016 Report Share Posted September 2, 2016 Walker570 Do you mean Bullace? They are rare but delicious when made into a spirit with vodka. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted September 2, 2016 Report Share Posted September 2, 2016 Not a great deal around my haunts, which is a real shame as I was hoping to put a fair bit aside this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walshie Posted September 3, 2016 Report Share Posted September 3, 2016 Heaving with them over here, just not ripe yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yellow Bear Posted September 3, 2016 Report Share Posted September 3, 2016 Poor here - not helped by farmer having "pruned" a couple of the main stands we knew about in the spring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moondoggy Posted September 3, 2016 Report Share Posted September 3, 2016 Loads in my garden, had a pathetic year last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andra Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 Anyone got any news on their local sloe crop this year? I checked a lot of my local bushes last weekend and sorry to say that they look a little sparse. I should be seeing fruit by now and not a lot to be seen. I'm also interested in damsons and I'm not sure how they are doing this year either. Seen some locally but last year seemed to be a bumper crop. Sparse on my patch damsons however are looking good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzashadow Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 where I go every year it takes me and the missus about 20 mins to fill a carrier bag. this year not one I work all over the place and have seen some about so its not everywhere effected Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 (edited) Walker570 Do you mean Bullace? They are rare but delicious when made into a spirit with vodka. Yes, yes ,never was any good at spelling. True they make excellent tipple for elevensies and a half inch in the bottom of a glass topped up with cava ain't bad either. Edited September 8, 2016 by Walker570 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12boreblue Posted September 8, 2016 Report Share Posted September 8, 2016 Went out today and noticed a few along the headland hedgerows, but not a lot of sloes on the branches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 Not so good with us this yea, it was brilliant last year. Still a little bit early, and I have two more place to check so living in hope to find my pint and a quarter! Cheers Aled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 Heaving with them over here, just not ripe yet. Not sure exactly where 'back of beyond' is, but like others have reported, sloes in my area are very few and far between. Seems to be a reasonable crop of Damsons, so will just have to make do with them this year, although the Morello Cherry trees in my garden did well earlier, so have sufficient Cherry Brandy & Gin on the go with still some cherries in the freezer. OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 Not much of anything round here except haws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 Whilst on the very slow train home last night I noticed that there were a lot of haws. Not much of anything round here except haws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panoma1 Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 Not much of anything round here except haws. Advantages of living in a red light district, I believe! Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted September 9, 2016 Report Share Posted September 9, 2016 I have had my eye out for haws, but things are quite slow in Cornwall in September. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_R Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Walker570 Do you mean Bullace? They are rare but delicious when made into a spirit with vodka. They made a delicious conserve too, as per this thread: http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/topic/321421-are-these-bullaces I found the same bush this year, again only a few fruits available but I do hope they are still there when ripe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElvisThePelvis Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Pretty much no sloes here this ŷear, last year was incredible though. Also very few hazelnuts around and Blackberries a little thin on the ground, apples seem vary small and sparse this year too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted September 12, 2016 Report Share Posted September 12, 2016 Anyone got any news on their local sloe crop this year? I checked a lot of my local bushes last weekend and sorry to say that they look a little sparse. I should be seeing fruit by now and not a lot to be seen. I'm also interested in damsons and I'm not sure how they are doing this year either. Seen some locally but last year seemed to be a bumper crop. I was in the Cotswolds last month, the damsons were ripe and falling at mid August. I was eating them at the camp site Our bushes up north here are devoid of sloes though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted September 13, 2016 Report Share Posted September 13, 2016 Not good for sloes. This late warm weather has knackered it. Did have some fruit but it's now all on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aled Posted September 15, 2016 Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 Managed to scrape together a pint of sloes last night, I have one spot to visit tonight, which I hope will yield that extra quarter of a pint needed to make sloe gin. Otherwise I'll just use what I have and hope for the best. Cheers Aled Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D5shooter Posted September 15, 2016 Report Share Posted September 15, 2016 Also fully loaded around Clevedon (Somerset) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andra Posted September 18, 2016 Report Share Posted September 18, 2016 Damsons fruiting really well here checked my patch when out fishing couple of days ago so need to get back out and get some for damson gin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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