[Hatty]

Found this on the permaculture website, won't be throwing mine away this year 

http://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/what-can-i-do-leftover-sloe-berries-sloe-gin-sloe-port-and-sloe-chocolate

[Roxy]

I like the chocolate idea!!

Sloe gin has become a bit of a tradition at our Dales shows. Those of us on the pony forum quite often pass a flask of sloe gin around between us.  Probably the other competitiors think we are a crowd of alcholics!!  Especially when the shout goes up  "whose got the sloe gin!"

[Greenerlife]

hunters chocolate I think is what it is called.  Was going to do that this year, but now I have seen the sloe port recipe... 

[Rosemary]

We've made sloe gin and sloe vodka for the first time this year and we were just talking about what to do with the sloes at lunchtime. We'll be giving both of these a go, I think.

[darkbrowneggs]

I have found you can usuallly get another "batch" out of it first,

Then drain the sloes really well and stir into melted white chocolate - Green and Blacks is good - so it looks chunky, and almost individual pieces covered in choc.  Put onto greaseproof or silver foil til set.  Break into small chuncks and enjoy.

[Dan]

I read somewhere today (can't remember where) that you can put them in a jar with a bottle of pale sherry, leave for three months and you get a nice fruity sherry. Obviously you pour the sherry out of the bottle first. 

[jaykay]

I don't stone the sloes before making the gin, so don't think I could stir them into melted chocolate afterwards without incurring hefty dentist bills! Does everyone else stone them and if so, how?

[Greenerlife]

I can't believe that the recipe tells you to keep the stones in.  I was thinking the same as you jaykay - literally a recipe for disaster! 
 I think sloes will be a pain to stone thoughh, but worth it. Guess you just have to slice each one in half.

[Dougal]

I often use the sloes a second time but use whisky on the second making (same amount of sugar and spirit to the weight of sloes). Makes a fantastic hip flask filler. Make sure you use plenty sugar though or it tastes like bitter whisky, bleurch!

[Mel Rice]

I was bought an olive stoner...a small hand held gadget that you place each fruit in and press! Ive not used it on olives but its great on cherries (the very ripe ones sometimes miss the pip and squish it to the side so need a second press) I guess this gaget would work well on sloes too.

[Greenerlife]

I am going to have a go with my cherry stoner, but i think that the hole for the stone will be too big and most of the sloe will be lost.

[Sylvia]

Sorry! Pressed the wrong thingy As I was saying, no need to stone sloes but you really should keep it for at least two years before drinking. As to the used sloes, Dan is right,a bottle of good, dry sherry. You can drink this at Christmas

[SmallTimeSmallholder]

I have made damson vodka this year, which I'm going re-soak in sherry in the new year. That should be ready about Easter. I'm then planning to make jam out of the remaining damson's! Waste not want not 
I think the sloe chocolate idea sound excellent! 

[Dan]

We've done the sherry thing now too, not sure about stoning all those sloes though. 

At least the prospect of chocolate-coating them will lend a bit of encouragement. 

[phil1235]

Stoning the sloes will release more sediment, it seems to me.  Pricking each one, which I used to do, is time-consuming (and finger-pricking ).  Simplest thing is to freeze them, then the skins split a bit on thawing.  Also gives more flexibility over when to start the sloe gin off.
Haven't tried recycling the sloes before - am about to start!