Sloes and Blackberry's....in July??????

Mad, isn't it? The sloes here aren't ripe but are there. I've seen blackberries, but not many. Pony creature is moulting horribly.
 
Same here in Somerset.

Loads of sloes and blackberries coming into ripe plus elderberries forming. Have already spotted hazels and the walnuts are very good this year already. Horse is starting to moult and pears and apples in the garden are about a month ahead of themselves too.

Does this mean a bumper harvest or an early winter??
 
I'm in Somerset too. Hazelnuts, there are masses in the hedgerow along the side of my field. Ooh hazelnut liquer! I'll have to get there before the squirrels though.
 
Masses of both here in Wiltshire. I'd expect them to be out at this time of year but the blackberries aren't normally ripe until August. The sloes should be ready in the autumn as usual and it looks like a bumper batch of sloe gin for me this year :)
 
I'm in Devon and have got some lovely blackberries (cultivated, not wild) growing, so will be making wine very soon!!! ;)

Haven't noticed any sloes yet tho' - but have got plenty of gin in stock ready for Sloe Gin (just right for the opening meet!!).

My farrier, who is an expert in all things alcoholic, says that sloes have a two year cycle, so apparently if they grow in one place well one year, they won't the next, and I've found this to be true.

Rock on the autumn! No flies, nice crisp cubbing mornings (or "hound exercise" as we now call it apparently!); no sweet itch, and plenty of winemaking to do!

PS: re. post above re "hazelnut liquor" - how do you do this exactly? I'd be interested (anything alcoholic interests me).
 
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Blackberries out at yard but not yet in hedges, have seen hazelnuts not sloes though the usual place hasn't any so maybe the 2 year cycle is right.
 
Saw loads of Blackberries yesterday and the Elderberries didn't look far off.

But I have noticed Blackberries getting earlier the last few years not just this year.
 
A version of "FRANGELICO"~ From Italy
Great Hazelnut tasting liqueur.
4 ½ cup shelled hazelnuts
2 tsp. Dried and chopped angelica root
½ split vanilla bean
1 fifth vodka
½ tsp. Almond extract
1 ½ cup sugar
¾ cup water
1 Tbs. Finishing formula
Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Place hazelnuts on cookie sheet and roast in oven. When toasted chop coarsely. Add nuts and all ingredients except water and sugar to aging container and age for a month. Strain and add cooled syrup to mixture. Age for another 2 or so months.

This is a recipe I've used before, the result was amazing. And when it says strain it, I strained it twice through a coffee filter paper, it made the liquer really clear .Finishing formula...whassat? I didn't use it and the liquer was fine. It's a deeply delicious drink !
 
We've got some ripe blackberries, sloes not there yet. But what I've also noticed is my pony always eats nettles as they start to die back and yellow but that's usually much later than this - much further into Aug and Sept ..he's been sussing out the nettles are ready to eat at the moment, they may be dying back though due to lack of water as not had any proper rain to speak of for weeks.
 
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