Sloe juice is fruity and healthy. It is said to have a positive effect on the immune system and on the stomach and intestines in particular. This simple recipe will show you how to make the juice yourself at home.

Sloe juice recipe: the ingredients

You should collect the sloes that you want to use for your juice after the first frost. As soon as they freeze, the bitter substances they contain break down. This gives them a fruitier, less tart taste. Alternatively, you can put fruit collected before the first frost in the freezer for a day or two before processing it.

For about one and a half liters of homemade sloe juice you need the following ingredients:

1 kg of sloes
about 1.5 liters of water
100 grams of sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
You should also have ready:

a sieve
two saucepans
two glass bottles with caps

Prepare sloe juice: This is how it works

Preparing sloe juice is not difficult, but it is quite time-consuming. The actual work is done quickly – you still have to plan about three to four days in total until your juice is ready.

Clean and wash the sloes. Drain briefly in a colander, then transfer to a large saucepan with a lid
Boil the water in a second pot and then pour it over the sloes. Put the lid on the pot and let it sit for a day.
After 24 hours, pour the entire contents of the pot through a sieve and collect the water in a saucepan. Boil it again, pour it over the sloes and let them steep again for a day.
Repeat this process at least three times, preferably four or five times. The more often you boil the sloes, the more intense the juice will be.
On the last day, catch the sloe juice in a saucepan, add the sugar and lemon juice and let it boil until bubbling. Tip: If you like, you can season the juice with a little cinnamon. This gives it a special aroma that goes particularly well with the Christmas season.
Pour the hot sloe juice directly into clean glass bottles and seal tightly. Then store it in a cool, dark place, such as the basement. The sloe juice keeps for many months up to several years.

The health effects of sloe juice

Many naturopaths mention the positive effect that sloe juice is said to have on the body. However, it has not been scientifically proven. Sloes contain vitamin C and flavonoids as well as various tannins and bitter substances. The tannins are of particular interest. For example, they are said to have the following effects:

anti-inflammatory
diuretic
appetizing
help against bladder infections
Use for colds
Sloe juice is therefore used in natural medicine, especially for inflammation in the mouth and throat. Overall, sloes are also said to strengthen the immune system and have a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract.