Damson (or Bullace) Gin
OVERVIEW
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What on earth is a Bullace I hear you cry...to put it simply, its somewhere between a Sloe and a Damson, but more like a Damson. In fact many people make their 'Damson' gin with Bullaces and to be honest you probably won't taste the difference. Generally Damsons are more elongated than Bullaces, which are usually round and Damsons are slightly less tart. In the wild though it can be very complicated and for foraging purposes we treat them both the same and so whether you are making Damson Gin or Bullace Gin the method is identical.
INGREDIENTS
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700g Damsons (or Bullaces), halved and de-stoned
700ml of Gin (40% ABV or higher)
250g Granulated Sugar (less if you don't have a sweet tooth, but the fruits are more tart than usual plums so often require more sugar than just a plum gin).
METHOD
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STEP 1: Halve and de-stone your Damsons (or Bullaces).
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STEP 2: Place the halved Damsons (or Bullaces) into a 2 litre style Kilner jar (or slightly bigger).
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STEP 3: Pour the gin over the Damsons (or Bullaces), the liquid should cover the fruit with a bit to spare, if it does not, take some fruit out. Then add the sugar. Stir the sugar and Damsons (or Bullaces) slowly in the gin. Close the lid ensure the gin can not leak.
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STEP 4: Shake the contents for a few seconds and put the jar in a cupboard. Shake the jar a few times in the first week and then whenever you remember until 3 months have passed, during this time the sugar will have dissolved.
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STEP 5: Strain the liquid through muslin or a fine mesh and place the resulting liquid in to a nice clean spirit style bottle. Then sit back and enjoy.
