Consequently, they have a stone at the center that makes them all the less appealing as a food source, so you'll rarely see sloes used outside of sloe gin and jams. Sloe gin is made with three ...

London dry gin, navy strength gin, old Tom gin, sloe gin ... there are countless gin variations to try, but one of these gins ...

Making sloe gin is slow but not laborious. There's no cooking required, just patience as the sloes steep in the gin. Sloes are too bitter and sour to eat raw, but taste superb when preserved.

Reserve a tablespoon of pork fat from the pan. To make the sauce, stone the sloes using your fingers or a cherry stoner (alternatively, stone them after cooking, which is messy but easier).