Sloe berries

[Alan]

Bilbery, also know as Blaeberry in Scotland. Important food source for upland birds and mammals. Ptarmigan particularly like the fruits, and the leaves form a major part of their diet in summer and winter months.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by henrya

Bilberries - Vaccinium myrtillus. Habitat - heaths, moors and woods. Absent from much of Central and Southern England, so maybe your Peterborough friend had just not been far enough north or west.

henrya

and far too good to do anything with but eat instantly if you ask me!!

[Airehead]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

and far too good to do anything with but eat instantly if you ask me!!

That is something I have never been able to understand. They are so much more luxuriously succulent when cooked in a pie with plenty of sugar that I really would have to slap the wrist of anyone I found eating whilst picking!

It is a revelation to me that bilberries are not well known in the south. Now I understand a little more about quirks of the southerners psychology (I am being very diplomatic here.)

DAN SALTER - I clearly said 'forget about the American blueberries' and what do you do? - you immediately put BLUE in a sentence together with other respectably British species. You must read more carefully. Go and stand in a corner.
(Even sour cherries are better than those)(not to mention sour grapes)

[Dan Salter]

this corner needs dusting.

[Varan Komodosky]

Sloe gin/voddy or even sloe whisky tastes nothing like the original spirit. Well worth a dabble in my opinion, but don't forget to give the sloes a good jabbing to break the skins before commencing the process. As another writer remarked, wait until after the first frost, if you can, should be ready for Xmas day. Yum.

[Airehead]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

this corner needs dusting.

Dan, I must say your quick repartee gave me a good laugh. Very apt, and it only took you 4 minutes.

Or are you used to standing in corners?

[Tabbitha]

Great thread everyone,thanks for all the tips and the comments that made me smile.

* flicks around with feather duster *

there done and dusted

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by Varan Komodosky

Sloe gin/voddy or even sloe whisky tastes nothing like the original spirit. Well worth a dabble in my opinion, but don't forget to give the sloes a good jabbing to break the skins before commencing the process. As another writer remarked, wait until after the first frost, if you can, should be ready for Xmas day. Yum.

When you have drained the gin off use the (stoned) soaked sloes, put them on a flat tray and cover them with melted Dark (ok or Milk) Chocolate.
Very nice

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

ok thanks mark...i have never tasted sloe gin but im going to make some anyway ha ha

Sloe wine gives a better return Dan