difference between sloes and dmasons

[maty j 6]

i know i know, a stupid question but ive searched google quickly and cant find anythingso were better than here to find out? ive picked a few of what i thought were sloes, big purple berries with a dusting of white on them that came off when you touched it. these berries were about a quarter of the size of the top section of your thumb. now i was out looking ysterday for some more and found some smaller berries approx half the size of the top section of your little finger. now are these just young sloes, damsons or if i drink them will i go blind just got me wondering as i found some of the smaller ones only 50yds or so off were i picked the first bunch of big berries and some on this tree were staring to shrivel. any ideas?? ill get out after and get some pics if i remember.

cheers,

[waz77 15]

Damsons are about twice the size of sloes and usually sweet enough to eat,like a plum,sloes are very sour and dry and if you eat them the inside of your mouth will shrivel up and fall out!! Ok it wont fall out but it will shrivel up!

[juckler123 707]

Damsons are pear shaped sloes are round the dusting is typical of sloes id have said hard to say without a pic damsons are sweet and sloes bitter thats the best way of telling id say.

[maty j 6]

just been out to get some pics.

i put one of the little berrys in my mouth and bit into it after i took the pic. it was reasonably hardish and as soon as i bit into it my mouth felt like it shrunk so im guessing the little ones are sloes?? at this size are they ready to be picked? there quite tight still were as the big berry in the pic, when i picked them they were quite soft. im guessing the big one is a damson then? i tried to get it to stand up in the picture but it was frozen and was slipping all over the place but it was a bit bigger anyway.

i did notice when i took them out the freezer i smelt them in the placcy bag and it smelt very sweet and nice, the bigger berrys that is. i even tested a bit of the juice whilst making some whateverthefecktheseberrysare gin and it didnt make my mouth go like the little one did, so guess there damsons then?

TIA,

maty.

Edited October 7, 2007 by maty j

[doxhope 2]

I thought I had found some masive sloes a few years ago, even the bush looked the same, but they were damsons, like the rest have said, damsons are sweet, sloes will make your taste buds shivel up..I still added them to the gin mind you, it was ok too. Just got some proper sloes today, dont know about other areas but there are loads up here this year

[daz1976 8]

what colour are sloes when you cut into them?

[harrycatcat 31]

Never mind tasting them, the bush that the sloes come off has fecking great thorns on and the damson bush does not.

On a previous chat about sloes someone said if you tast a sloe "it will bring your arse up to your elbows" I think was the phrase and it has stuck, cos it does. I hope that helps cos up to this year I did not know that sloes existed but becuase of folk on this site and their advice I have got bottles of sloe gin and bottles of damson vodka going. I have also done a bottle of sloe/damson vodka, what that will be like I don't know.

[maty j 6]

yeah i remember that phrase think it was MC refereing to H&J after he siad he tasted one. just checked the bush were i got the big berries off and theres no thorns that i could see so must be damsons then i guess. i did half defrost one and it wasnt particually nice, quite sour actually but nothing like the little berries that must be the real sloes. so insted of making sloe gin, and spiced sloe gin ive made them but with damsons hope it'll taste nice all the same.

 

these ones i cut into are white with a hint of greenish but so are the damsons to complicate things theres a fair few up here too DH. i picked a few sloes yesterday, about 250g. not many i know but dont need any more yet so will let them ripen abit if needs be. so ill get a batch made up of real sloe gin and then start the variants.... spiced, almonds etc if theres enough gin left

cheers for the help fellas.

[mole catcher 1]

Never mind tasting them, the bush that the sloes come off has fecking great thorns on and the damson bush does not.

 

 

bugger you beat me to it

[bigadg 5]

the smaller berries are sloes , and the bigger one are bullaces

 

stu

[harrycatcat 31]

Never mind tasting them, the bush that the sloes come off has fecking great thorns on and the damson bush does not.

 

 

bugger you beat me to it

It must be a first for me mole catcher

[maty j 6]

what the feck are bullaces i take it there eadible/drinkable? ive made up abit of "bigberry" vodka aswell see what thats like and just off to get the "littleberrys" out the freezer. gonna try an almond batch after hearing good things about it.

cheers all,

maty.

[mole catcher 1]

bullaces are a type of wild plum, only smaller. round here we have green, black and red as well as the yellow ones. they all make good wine as well as jam

[maty j 6]

thanks for that MC. im still not sure what ive picked but whatever it is come late december sure it will get a smapeing and ill see if i shall be returning to the same tree next year or weather to just stick to the sloes. cant wait

thanks for the help fellas,

maty.