There was a thread a month or two ago about sloes. Nick and Mary both
mentioned making a delicious sloe cheese. Would you mind sharing your
recipes please?

Now we've had our first frost, I've spent hours today picking sloes and
have 11 pounds to play with, so I'm experimenting making sloe jelly and
sloe gin (I've found good recipes for those via Google) but the cheese
seems to be a bit more of a mystery?

Interesting that some of the ripe, wrinkly, sloes aren't bitter at all
now but others turn my mouth inside-out.
--
David in Normandy.
(The free MicroPlanet Gravity newsreader is great for eliminating
rubbish and cross-posts)

In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
|
| There was a thread a month or two ago about sloes. Nick and Mary both
| mentioned making a delicious sloe cheese. Would you mind sharing your
| recipes please?

Mabey "Jams, jellies and chutneys". Or several old cookery books.
The summary is to make a not-very-sweet jam (I would recommend half
apple and half sloe), by cooking and sieving the fruit. When it is
close to jam, put it in a shallow tray in a cool oven and dry it
out, stirring regularly. When approaching solidity, put it into
another, oiled, tray. When cool, cut it up and possibly dry it
further.

| Interesting that some of the ripe, wrinkly, sloes aren't bitter at all
| now but others turn my mouth inside-out.

Yes. I don't know why.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Nick Maclaren says...

In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
|
| There was a thread a month or two ago about sloes. Nick and Mary both
| mentioned making a delicious sloe cheese. Would you mind sharing your
| recipes please?

Mabey "Jams, jellies and chutneys". Or several old cookery books.
The summary is to make a not-very-sweet jam (I would recommend half
apple and half sloe), by cooking and sieving the fruit. When it is
close to jam, put it in a shallow tray in a cool oven and dry it
out, stirring regularly. When approaching solidity, put it into
another, oiled, tray. When cool, cut it up and possibly dry it
further.

| Interesting that some of the ripe, wrinkly, sloes aren't bitter at all
| now but others turn my mouth inside-out.

Yes. I don't know why.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.


Thanks Nick.
--
David in Normandy.
(The free MicroPlanet Gravity newsreader is great for eliminating
rubbish and cross-posts)

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
|
| There was a thread a month or two ago about sloes. Nick and Mary both
| mentioned making a delicious sloe cheese. Would you mind sharing your
| recipes please?

I've been in deepest Wales for over a week, which is why I haven't replied
to this.

I use the same weight of sugar as fruit but would never put apple in with
sloe, I want the full flavour!

Nor do I sieve the fruit, we like the texture of skin.

I leave fruit and sugar in a LARGE pan overnight then very slowly heat the
pan, with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Juice will flow from the fruit
and pips released. I pick off the pips as they rise to the surface. A faff?
Yes, but I don't mind. I suck them before putting them on a plate :-)

Cook the mixture gently until it begins to leave the sides of the pan, this
can be a long time if you have a lot of mixture.

Leave it to cool in the pan. If, by next day, it's as solid as you wanted
heat it gently and pour it into whatever mould you want. I don't bother
oiling the mould, I've never had a problem turning out the cheese but
usually do it in many small moulds. If I run out of small ones I put it in a
larger one and cut it into squares when it's cold, then wrap each one in
Clingfilm. The idea of contaminating the beautiful cheese with oil is
anathema, if you don't have confidence that it will release from the mould
use butter. NOT 'spread'!

But all that's just my method, others have their own favourites.

Sloe, bullace, damson or even plum cheeses in small moulds make lovely and
acceptable unusual presents.

Mary

In article ,
"Mary Fisher" writes:
|
| I use the same weight of sugar as fruit but would never put apple in with
| sloe, I want the full flavour!

Gosh, someone who out-Maclarens me :-)

| Nor do I sieve the fruit, we like the texture of skin.
|
| I leave fruit and sugar in a LARGE pan overnight then very slowly heat the
| pan, with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Juice will flow from the fruit
| and pips released. I pick off the pips as they rise to the surface. A faff?
| Yes, but I don't mind. I suck them before putting them on a plate :-)

I sieve the fruit as the easiest way to get rid of the stones; as I
rub the fruit through the sieve, most of the skin gets through (in
very small pieces).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Mary Fisher
says...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
David in Normandy writes:
|
| There was a thread a month or two ago about sloes. Nick and Mary both
| mentioned making a delicious sloe cheese. Would you mind sharing your
| recipes please?

I've been in deepest Wales for over a week, which is why I haven't replied
to this.

I use the same weight of sugar as fruit but would never put apple in with
sloe, I want the full flavour!

Nor do I sieve the fruit, we like the texture of skin.

I leave fruit and sugar in a LARGE pan overnight then very slowly heat the
pan, with the lid on, stirring occasionally. Juice will flow from the fruit
and pips released. I pick off the pips as they rise to the surface. A faff?
Yes, but I don't mind. I suck them before putting them on a plate :-)

Cook the mixture gently until it begins to leave the sides of the pan, this
can be a long time if you have a lot of mixture.

Leave it to cool in the pan. If, by next day, it's as solid as you wanted
heat it gently and pour it into whatever mould you want. I don't bother
oiling the mould, I've never had a problem turning out the cheese but
usually do it in many small moulds. If I run out of small ones I put it in a
larger one and cut it into squares when it's cold, then wrap each one in
Clingfilm. The idea of contaminating the beautiful cheese with oil is
anathema, if you don't have confidence that it will release from the mould
use butter. NOT 'spread'!

But all that's just my method, others have their own favourites.

Sloe, bullace, damson or even plum cheeses in small moulds make lovely and
acceptable unusual presents.

Mary



Thanks Mary. I will have a go making some Nick's way and yours too. I've
already made the sloe gin and sloe vodka - that was easy.
--
David in Normandy

Presumably the wrinkly ones being sweet is a form of noble rot, which makes grapes very sweet? We made Sloe jelly a couple of years back It is excellent with meat.
Somewhere I saw a suggestion that one could make fruit cheese from what is left after liquid had dripped out during the jelly making process. Not tried it though.

Granity writes

Presumably the wrinkly ones being sweet is a form of noble rot, which
makes grapes very sweet?

Or they are simply more mature and with higher sugar levels?

--
Kay

In article ,
K writes:
| Granity writes
|
| Presumably the wrinkly ones being sweet is a form of noble rot, which
| makes grapes very sweet?
|
| Or they are simply more mature and with higher sugar levels?

Nope. Sloes are not even particularly sour at any stage; the mouth-
wrinkling effect is something like a tannin.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On Oct 24, 12:39 pm, (Nick Maclaren) wrote:
In article ,K writes:

| Granity writes
|
| Presumably the wrinkly ones being sweet is a form of noble rot, which
| makes grapes very sweet?
|
| Or they are simply more mature and with higher sugar levels?

Nope. Sloes are not even particularly sour at any stage; the mouth-
wrinkling effect is something like a tannin.

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

I presume it's the same transformation as applies to khakis. Those
taht grow in S France's gardens are too astringent to come anywhere
near until the frost has worked its magic on their chemical
structure. I presume enzymes and all sorts of other magical stuff are
involved. The flesh turns from firm to gloopy, from golden yellow to a
deep deep amber orange and from frightfully astringent (turn mouth-
inside-out effect) to velvety sweet and gorgeous.
I don't ask questions, then, I just scoff with a spoon :-)


Cat(h)

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
There was a thread a month or two ago about sloes. Nick and Mary both
mentioned making a delicious sloe cheese. Would you mind sharing your
recipes please?

Now we've had our first frost, I've spent hours today picking sloes and
have 11 pounds to play with, so I'm experimenting making sloe jelly and
sloe gin (I've found good recipes for those via Google) but the cheese
seems to be a bit more of a mystery?

Interesting that some of the ripe, wrinkly, sloes aren't bitter at all
now but others turn my mouth inside-out.
--
Here's my grandparent's recipe that made their SG a sought after present.
Put one cup of pricked sloes and one cup of sugar in a gin bottle and fill
the bottle with gin. Briefly invert the bottles every day until the sugar
has dissolved and leave for several months before drinking (at least 4,
preferably 9+).
Their cup was whatever was handy but I think a standard 250ml cup would be
about right.
Graham

"graham" wrote in message
news:hM4Ti.113426$th2.63987@pd7urf3no...

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
There was a thread a month or two ago about sloes. Nick and Mary both
mentioned making a delicious sloe cheese. Would you mind sharing your
recipes please?

Now we've had our first frost, I've spent hours today picking sloes and
have 11 pounds to play with, so I'm experimenting making sloe jelly and
sloe gin (I've found good recipes for those via Google) but the cheese
seems to be a bit more of a mystery?

Interesting that some of the ripe, wrinkly, sloes aren't bitter at all
now but others turn my mouth inside-out.
--
Here's my grandparent's recipe that made their SG a sought after present.
Put one cup of pricked sloes and one cup of sugar in a gin bottle and fill
the bottle with gin. Briefly invert the bottles every day until the sugar
has dissolved and leave for several months before drinking (at least 4,
preferably 9+).
Their cup was whatever was handy but I think a standard 250ml cup would be
about right.
Graham
Why not try vodka and/or brandy as well.
Graham

In article mN4Ti.113401$Da.27521@pd7urf1no, graham says...

"graham" wrote in message
news:hM4Ti.113426$th2.63987@pd7urf3no...

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
There was a thread a month or two ago about sloes. Nick and Mary both
mentioned making a delicious sloe cheese. Would you mind sharing your
recipes please?

Now we've had our first frost, I've spent hours today picking sloes and
have 11 pounds to play with, so I'm experimenting making sloe jelly and
sloe gin (I've found good recipes for those via Google) but the cheese
seems to be a bit more of a mystery?

Interesting that some of the ripe, wrinkly, sloes aren't bitter at all
now but others turn my mouth inside-out.
--
Here's my grandparent's recipe that made their SG a sought after present.
Put one cup of pricked sloes and one cup of sugar in a gin bottle and fill
the bottle with gin. Briefly invert the bottles every day until the sugar
has dissolved and leave for several months before drinking (at least 4,
preferably 9+).
Their cup was whatever was handy but I think a standard 250ml cup would be
about right.
Graham
Why not try vodka and/or brandy as well.
Graham




Yes, good idea, I've plenty of sloes to experiment with.
--
David in Normandy.
(The free MicroPlanet Gravity newsreader is great for eliminating
rubbish and cross-posts)