Prunus Spinosa. Sloe

Attractive, white-powdered, quite bitter blue fruits appear in late autumn and have a long list of culinary uses, most famous being in the preparation of Sloe Gin. Berries are lightly pricked and then steeped in gin and sugar for many months. The resulting liqueur is held in very high esteem and rarely lasts long in the bottle! One of the delights of the English countryside in early spring, dense sprays of fragrant white flowers appear in March and April, which are often mistaken for Hawthorn, or "May" which predictably flowers...in May!