Blackthorn or sloe (Prunus spinosa) is a very usable plant. The berries that resemble cherries in shape can be used to much more than sloe gin. They grow ripe in Autumn and are at their best after frost. Provided that they are picked when fully ripe, the frost can be arranged by freezing them for 24 hours before use.
Here are two successful recipes I invented.
1. Preserved Sloe with Maraschino Liqueur
Four kilos of sloe.
Pitted. It took two hours!
Mixed with one kilo sugar, juice of one lemon and a fair amount of Maraschino liqueur. Set aside to melt together with the sugar for a few hours.
Heated in a water bath to further dissolve the sugar crystals (boiling would have torn the berries apart). Stirred very carefully in order not to tear the berries apart.
After adding some benzoate, filled into jars. The preserve must be stored refrigerated since it's not sterilized.
2) Sloe Ice Cream
750 g sloe is boiled for five minutes in half a litre of water and 200 grams sugar.
The berries are drained. The juice is an excellent and nutritious drink when diluted with water.
The berries are strained to a purée. If at hand, add a tablespoon of Kirsch or Maraschino liqueur.
Make a vanilla custard with a little more sugar and less vanilla than usual:
4 egg yolks
125 g sugar
200 ml milk
100 ml heavy cream
1 cm vanilla pod
Bring milk, cream and vanilla to a boil. Set aside and let stand for 20 minutes. In the meantime, whisk yolks and sugar until white. Add the strained milk/cream to the batter. Pour back into the pot and heat, constantly stirring, to 85 C/185 F when the custard thickens. Chill the custard and the purée in the refrigerator.
Mix custard and purée. Pour into the ice-cream maker. When it's half frozen, pour in half a cup of whipped cream.
The ice cream is ready when the blade stops.
Serve with sloe preserve (see above) and almond cookies.