{"id":19994,"date":"2022-09-21T13:40:51","date_gmt":"2022-09-21T11:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/?post_type=purple_issue&#038;p=19994"},"modified":"2022-11-07T15:49:35","modified_gmt":"2022-11-07T14:49:35","slug":"life-in-the-sloe-lane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/2022\/09\/21\/life-in-the-sloe-lane\/","title":{"rendered":"Life in the sloe lane"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center intro\">It&#8217;s harvest time for the fruit of the blackthorn tree <\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"no-tts wp-block-image article-in-image photo\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1625\" height=\"1515\" src=\"https:\/\/dj9jqhxgw9833.cloudfront.net\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/09\/065c0f50-3844-4b76-8ddf-c6747abf62d1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"no-tts wp-image-19992\" srcset=\"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/09\/065c0f50-3844-4b76-8ddf-c6747abf62d1.jpg 1625w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/09\/065c0f50-3844-4b76-8ddf-c6747abf62d1-300x280.jpg 300w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/09\/065c0f50-3844-4b76-8ddf-c6747abf62d1-1024x955.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/09\/065c0f50-3844-4b76-8ddf-c6747abf62d1-768x716.jpg 768w, https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/09\/065c0f50-3844-4b76-8ddf-c6747abf62d1-1536x1432.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1625px) 100vw, 1625px\" \/><figcaption>Sloes are protected by the vicious 2cm thorns that adorn blackthorn trees <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">SLOES ARE THE FRUIT OF THE blackthorn, one of the commonest and most widespread hedging trees on account of its dense growth. October is traditionally when they are finally ripe enough for us to pick. They look like small, dark plums, with an attractive bluish-purple sheen \u2013 but don\u2019t try one straight off the tree. Its intense, eye-watering tartness will almost certainly make you splutter and spit it out. Even <span>birds normally leave sloes untouched, much preferring hawthorn, holly and mountain ash berries. Three species that will eat them are mistle thrushes, fieldfares (winter visitors from the far north) and hawfinches. <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"article-full-body sans-serif\">Heavily sweetened, of course, sloes go famously well with gin, and are excellent too in whisky and grown-up chocolate. Unfortunately, excessive and frequent flailing of hedges can lead to a much reduced crop, or even no sloes at all.<br><strong>BH <\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"footer\">Photos: SLOE: DAVID CHAPMAN <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s harvest time for the fruit of the blackhorn tree <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":19992,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"15","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"15","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_15-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_15-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"October-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"October-2022","purple_external_id":"October-2022-15-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"October-2022-15-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000087236||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000087236||","purple_android_product":"com.im.wildlife.496","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.wildlife.496","purple_ios_product":"com.im.wildlife.496","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.wildlife.496","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"58d61955-0ac4-406c-83f1-ab6f21d86b70","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-09-22T08:25:15Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"7b804408-3e0b-4c11-8711-6db0a94ff607","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-09-23T09:12:48Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ae4BECD4LTBGHEW2wqU_2Bw","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[25],"tags":[14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/44\/2022\/09\/065c0f50-3844-4b76-8ddf-c6747abf62d1.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"< 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harvest time for the fruit of the blackhorn 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