Check out our guide to sloe berries, including where to buy them and plenty of recipe inspiration, then read about what are goji berries, edible flowers and preserved lemons.

What are sloe berries?

These blue-black berries are bitter when eaten raw but with a little sugar and time, their tartness is transformed. They’re often used to infuse gin but also make excellent jellies, sauces and fruit cheese that go beautifully with game or strong cheeses such as stilton.

When are sloe berries in season?

Sloe berries (blackthorn) can be picked from English hedgerows from October to December, or you can buy them dried online.

Where to buy sloe berries

VinClass Dried Sloes, £10.95/500g, Amazon
Dried sloe berries can be used as an alternative to fresh when making sloe gin when fresh are not in season, or for garnishing cocktails.

Fresh sloe berries, £9.99/450g, sloeberries.com
Fresh sloe berries can be preordered ahead of the summer season, or bought during the season once fresh berries are available.


Sloe berry recipes

Sloe gin

Make the most of sloe season with this classic and easy-to-make liqueur. Enjoy this fruity alcoholic drink over the festive season or give it away as a gift.

A glass bottle of sloe gin, with two small tumblers on a coaster

Sloe gin fizz

A festive twist on a classic gin fizz, you can use shop-bought sloe gin or find our recipe for an easy DIY version.

Two tall glasses of sloe gin fizz, garrnished with a lemon slice and maraschino cherry

Sloe sazerac

A seriously punchy whisky cocktail perfect for slow sipping during the winter months.

Sloe Sazerac in a glass

10 of the best sloe gins

Our mission: to find the best sloe gin available in the UK. Here are the results of our expert taste test and our recipe for how to make sloe gin.

Sloe gin taste test header image

Authors

Adam Bush Chef Portrait
Adam BushDeputy food editor
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