Sloe Gin - Update(1)

48 hours after bottling and the Liquor is turning Crimson, and all the sugar has dissolved. I have noticed though, that I have a couple of "floaters".

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No.5

Home Brewed - Sloe Gin

On the 20th of February this year, I put a post up about making Sloe Gin. I had noticed in the last few weeks, some Blackthorn bushes on the Moreton Hall estate, during my Bicycle ride to work. So this afternoon I felt the time was right to plunder them for their berries (Sloe's) above Dog leg height, before someone else beat me to them.

Having gathered about a pound in weight, and taking the best of the fruit I could find, I headed home to make my brew. Walking in the opposite direction to me was a couple with empty ice cream containers. Were they after the same thing, or some of the other fruits that grow in the hedgerows in the area ?

Back from foraging, and the three ingredients required. Sloe's, Sugar and Gin.

Time to prick the berries, and this should traditionally be done with a thorn from the bush, but I used a cocktail stick. A time consuming job that takes as long as picking the berries themselves.

Half fill the Gin bottle with berries, then add the Sugar.

Then add the Gin. I Purchased a bottle duty free on the way home from Turkey. Leave a small space in the neck of the bottle, so that you can turn the bottle to dissolve the Sugar, for the first few days. Then store in a cool cupboard for a few months.
Doing it this early can mean its ready for Christmas. Quantities are not essential, and if in doubt keep it simple.

No.5

Holiday

Friday 5th September, saw my wife and I, flying from Stanstead at 10pm to Olu Deniz - Turkey, with the couple who's wedding we went to, this time last year.

With it pouring with rain, it was with great excitement and joy.

This is what we arrived to. This is taken from one end of the beach at Olu Deniz.

Sunday night saw us attending a Turkish evening, which included this rather talented belly dancer. She did rope a few of us into her routine, me included. Unfortunately I only have this poor quality phone camera photo.

Tuesday we were walking along Fethiye habour and spot these two Pelicans, which didn't mind having their heads stroked. I didn't try in case I ended up on You've been framed.

Fethiye harbour, and we booked up to go on a second boat trip from here, on the following Monday, despite already going on one the forth coming Thursday from Olu Deniz.

Thursday's boat trip from Olu Deniz see's us stopping first at the Butterfly valley. There is a "hippie commune" here and people camp on the beach in tents and shacks.
The boat stops here for one hour, and me and the guy from the other couple, paid five Turkish lira each (approx £2.50) to follow the trail through the valley.
We did see some Butterflies, but they were difficult to photograph.

As we got further along the path we could hear the sound of a waterfall getting closer. It started getting more rocky, and involved scrambling over large boulders. I got under the water and it was a bit cold.
There was a pipe catching the water which carried it all the way down to the commune. The route back involved retracing our steps, and we got back with not much time to spare.

St. Nicholas island and again I scrambled up the rocks to capture some pictures of the ruins of old houses and religious buildings.

The view from near the top looking back at the boat we arrived on, which is the middle one. It has a water flume on it at the front and slides you down through the hull of the boat and out the side of it.

Monday's boat trip from Fethiye See's us stop at this flat island, where you could sit under the canopy and have a pancake cooked fresh for you.

Also on the flat island was a couple of "hubbly bubblies"

Coming back into Fethiye and this is the harbour and apartments overlooking it, seen from the boat.

Wednesday we discover this bar (Tequila bar) that we hadn't been in before, in Olu Deniz, and wish we'd found it sooner. They played mainly rock music, but on the day I took this picture it was Motown night.

In the evening you can sit on the beach, on bean bags or chairs, and watch the sun set. I decided to use the sunset picture to end this post.
But if you read the previous days post you will see a great holiday didn't end with a great journey home.

No.5

Back Home - Eventually

I flew home from my summer holiday today, having spent 2 weeks in Turkey. We had arranged our trip via Stanstead airport, but about half an hour from landing the Pilot informs all the passengers on the plane, we are landing at Manchester !
So I've had an unplanned coach tour of Moss Side, Birmingham and a service area on the M6, as the driver had to take a compulsory rest break, driving us back to Stanstead, great.

No.5

Blogging Holiday

I am having a blogging holiday, and will not be posting any new posts on here until about September 20th.You might see me on the Buzz Beach Bar webcam though. in the evening.

No.5