Sloe berries are the dark purple, cherry-sized fruit of the Blackthorn bush (Prunus spinosa). They are famous in Europe, especially the UK, for making Sloe Gin.
Yes, they are the same thing. 'Sloe' is the common name for the berry, and 'Blackthorn' is the name of the thorny bush or tree that it grows on.
Raw sloe berries are not for eating! They are incredibly sharp, tart, and astringent (making your mouth pucker). However, when steeped in gin with sugar or cooked into a jam, they release a beautiful, rich, fruity, and plum-like flavour with a hint of almond.
Their number one use is for making Sloe Gin. They are also used to make sloe wine, sloe & apple jelly, sloe jam, and in some traditional fruit syrups.
Traditionally, sloes are picked in autumn, after the first frost. The frost is believed to help split the tough skins and soften the fruit. Since our sloe berries are dried, they are ready to use immediately.
The flesh of the fruit is perfectly safe to use for gin, wine, and jam. However, like the pips of cherries and apples, the small stone (seed) inside the sloe berry contains cyanogenic glycosides. The seeds should not be crushed or consumed.
