Can You dehydrate juniper berries?
After gathering the berries, it is time to dry them. It has turned rather chilly and humid here, so I’ll most likely use the dehydrator. It takes quite a while to fully dry a juniper berry because it is highly resinous. You can expect to allow them to air dry for up to three weeks or at least two days in the dehydrator.
What are the best ways to use juniper berries?
Dried berries aren’t juicy, but they are spicy and enticing. Fresh or dry, juniper berries have a strong flavor, so use them in moderation. Just a few berries, coarsely ground in a mortar with a pestle, are enough to flavor an entire batch of sauerkraut. They also make a great glaze for cookies and a super-simple fermented beverage called smreka.
How do you pick blueberries from a juniper tree?
Spread an old sheet around the base of the juniper bush. Grasp a branch with a gloved hand and shake it. The ripest blue berries will drop easily from the limb onto the sheet. Pluck remaining ripe berries from the plant by hand. Lay an old sheet out in a shady spot in the yard and dump the berries onto it.
What are dried juniper berries?
But we’re speaking culinarily, in which case the dark violet orbs look and taste enough like berries to deserve the name. Dried juniper berries (or fresh ones, when they are available) are used as a flavoring in Northern European cuisine, especially in Scandinavia, Germany and the Alsace region of France.
How long does it take to dry juniper berries?
three weeksDrying Juniper Berries It takes quite a while to fully dry a juniper berry because it is highly resinous. You can expect to allow them to air dry for up to three weeks or at least two days in the dehydrator.
Can I dry juniper berries in the oven?
Simply pluck the berries from the branches, dry roast them in a 250-degree oven until they shrivel a bit, turn black and become crumbly, then you may store them in an airtight container for months.
How long do dried juniper berries last?
2 to 3 yearsJuniper berries will have a shelf life of 2 to 3 years when stored correctly. Juniper berries perform a unique role by contributing as much to the character of food through their freshening ability, as they do by way of their specific taste profile.
What can I do with fresh juniper berries?
The spicy, aromatic, dark berries of the juniper tree can be used fresh or dried, crushed or whole, to flavour casseroles, marinades and stuffings and complement pork, rabbit, venison, beef and duck. They can also be used in sweet dishes such as fruitcake. Juniper berries also provide the main flavouring for gin.
What can I do with dried juniper berries?
You can either pop them in whole or crush them up with a pestle and mortar, depending on how strong you want their flavour to be.Grilled lamb chops with lemon risotto. These lamb chops are a true showstopper dinner. ... Roast venison with roasted pears. ... Chicken in red wine. ... Braised red cabbage.
How do I dry berries without a dehydrator?
Place cheesecloth over metal drying racks and place on a large jelly-roll pan or directly on your oven grates, depending on how wide they are. Place the fruit on the cheesecloth and bake for 1 hour. Rotate the pans and flip over the fruit. Bake for another hour; rotate and flip again.
Should juniper berries be crushed?
For the best flavor, buy whole berries and grind them yourself. Like most spices, juniper quickly loses its potency once ground, so grind only as much as you need for a given recipe. Stored in a tightly sealed container, whole berries will last for up to 2 years.
Are dried juniper berries edible?
Yes, juniper berries are edible. In fact, you may have tasted them before without even knowing it if you drink alcoholic beverages. Juniper berries are what gives a gin martini its unique flavoring.
How do you harvest and store juniper berries?
You can allow the berries to dry on their own or speed the process by placing them in a dehydrator overnight. I place a sheet of parchment paper on the dehydrator rack to keep the berries from falling through the openings. Store your dried juniper berries in an airtight container out of direct sunlight.
How did Native Americans use juniper berries?
Traditionally gathered in early Fall the berries are dried for winter use, or made into mush and used for cakes, roasted, and ground to use as a coffee like substitute. The Cree Indians called juniper Ka-Ka-Kau-mini and made a poultice for wounds out of the inner bark.
What do dried juniper berries taste like?
What do they taste like? If you've ever tried gin you'll have a fair idea of what juniper berries taste like, although the ones used for cooking are riper. They have a slightly piney flavor with a touch of both fruitiness and pepperiness.
How do you know when juniper berries are ripe?
The easiest way to tell if a berry is ripe is to tug it. It should give easily. You can even shake a juniper and the ripe ones will fall to the ground. If a berry resists, it's probably not ready.
Should juniper berries be crushed?
For the best flavor, buy whole berries and grind them yourself. Like most spices, juniper quickly loses its potency once ground, so grind only as much as you need for a given recipe. Stored in a tightly sealed container, whole berries will last for up to 2 years.
How do you dry juniper branches?
Many people mistakenly believe that high heat and sun is the best way to dry plant material, but for aromatic species such as juniper, it is better to dry them in cooler temperatures and out of direct sunlight.
How can you tell when juniper berries are ripe?
The easiest way to tell if a berry is ripe is to tug it. It should give easily. You can even shake a juniper and the ripe ones will fall to the ground. If a berry resists, it's probably not ready.
Can you freeze juniper berries?
You can keep the juniper berries in the freezer for long-term storage. The juniper berries' shelf life will be extended by freezing them. Before freezing the juniper berries, make sure they're in an airtight container.
What Are Juniper Berries?
Juniper berries actually aren’t berries at all. They are female seed cones that come juniper plants — a type of conifer ( Pinophyta ), which is a cone-bearing plant or tree. Juniper plants vary in appearance and can grow low and wide like a shrub or tall like a tree. Their uniquely fleshy, merged scales make them look like a berry, thus the name.
Nutritional Background
There are many species of juniper berries; however, keep in mind that at least one is toxic. Edible juniper varieties include: ( 4)
9 Benefits of Juniper Berries
One major benefit of juniper berries is the antioxidants they contain. Antioxidants help your body to prevent and fight disease because they relieve oxidative stress caused by too many free radicals in your system.
How to Find and Use Juniper Berries in Cooking
Many health food stores carry juniper berries in the spice section. These spicy, rich berries can be purchased either dried or fresh and whole or crushed. Many sources suggest they flavor meat dishes particularly well. (35)
About This Recipe
A few weeks ago, while heading home from church, I convinced my husband, Scott, to take me Juniper Berry picking. We had spotted the juniper bushes on the way to our friends, Greg, and Kathy's house a few days prior.
Why This Recipe Works
Making your own Homemade Gin is pretty cool. Sure, you can run down to the store and buy a bottle, but where's the fun in that? I ask you, where's your sense of adventure?
Recipe Ingredient Notes
Vodka — I used Platinum 7 Distilled Vodka, which I guess is a "middle-shelf vodka." At least that's what I was told when I purchased it. Use your favorite brand.
How to Make This Recipe
Sterilize a 12-ounce or larger mason jar. Pour ½ of a 750 ml bottle of vodka into the jar.
3-Step Homemade Juniper Berry Infused Gin
A delicious Juniper Berry Infused Gin that's ready to consume in a matter of days.
1. High in nutrients and powerful plant compounds
Though nutrition information on juniper berries is limited, they’re known to provide certain vitamins and an array of plant compounds.
2. Provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects
Antioxidant-rich foods are important for health, as they help protect your cells against damage that may otherwise lead to illness.
3. May have antidiabetic properties
Juniper berries were used in traditional medicine practices to treat diabetes, and recent studies confirm that they may have antidiabetic properties.
4. Could promote heart health
Juniper berries may promote heart health by improving HDL (good) cholesterol levels and reducing high triglyceride levels, as well as LDL (bad) and total cholesterol.
5. Antibacterial and antifungal activity
Test-tube and animal studies show that juniper berries have powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties. These are attributed to potent compounds in their oil, including sabinene, limonene, myrcene, and alpha- and beta-pinene ( 16 ).
Juniper berry uses
Unlike other berries, juniper berries are typically used only in small amounts to flavor foods — not eaten in large portions.
The bottom line
Juniper berries are a popular ingredient in marinades, spice rubs, and specialty cocktails due to their aromatic flavor.
