Alison Niven

Autumn Harvest Damson Gin

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Preparation info
  • Makes

    1.2

    litres
    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Gloagburn: Recipes from a Scottish Farm
Gloagburn

By Alison Niven

Published 2025

  • About

Sloe gin is wonderful but if you don’t have a bush around, sloes can be hard to come by. Damsons make an equally delicious gin, and are usually available in good fruit-and-vegetable shops in late August, meaning your gin will be ready by Christmas. I always make ours in an old-fashioned sweetie jar.

Ingredients

  • 1.2 kg damsons
  • 1 litre gin
  • 170 g

Method

  1. Prick the damsons all over with a needle and put them into the jar. Pour over the gin, then add the caster sugar and seal the jar. Give it a shake to distribute the sugar evenly and put away in a cupboard.
  2. Every week or so, give the jar a turn to help the sugar dissolve.
  3. After 3 months, taste the gin and add about 85g sugar, depending on how much more

Photos