This Sunday turned out to be very productive on the foraging front. Not only did we collect some blackberries (I hear this year is meant to be a bumper crop?) but we managed to catch the wild Mirabelle plums just as they ripened (there was some concerns that was we are off on holiday next week that we may have been too early).
The photo below was taken in a little woody pathway that is in the Gipping Valley, which is a gorgeous part of East Anglia if you are ever over that way. The lane had recently been strimmed by a local farmer (I suspect) but actually that helped to get to some of the more out of the way plums.
Last year, was the first year that I have branched out from Sloes into combining other fruits and booze (cranberries, blackberries and plums were married up with brandy, vodka and gin). Of all the ones we tried, bar my favourite Sloe Gin, I thought that the Mirabelle Plums took very well to the gin.
So this year with our haul we have made another batch (best get on with finishing off last years I guess), which is now happily fermenting away.
For anyone interested in making up their own batch, the general rule seems to be 1lb fruit to 1lb sugar made up to to 75cl with gin. You can let it ferment away for a few months, adding sugar to taste. We used Kilner jars as bottles have thin necks and it is a chore and a half to get the fruit through the gap. Another point: remove the stones from the Mirabelle plums (I was told by wise boyfriend that they contain Arsenic).
ktybnyrd 