Are all varieties of juniper berries edible?
A. Possibly never. Of the roughly 40 species of juniper, a small number are poisonous and a majority have bitter fruits. Only a few yield edible berries (actually modified cones) and only one is routinely used for flavoring.
How do you know if juniper berries are safe?
Make sure you can recognize the bush that is the source of the safe seasoning or some very unpleasant experiences may await from harvesting juniper berries off the wrong plant. The common juniper is hardy in USDA zones 2 to 6 and is found in a wide variety of soils. The plants grow in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Which junipers produce berries?
The fruit of common juniper (Juniperus communis) is generally considered to be the most flavorful juniper berry, but J. virginiana (eastern red cedar) also produces tasty, edible berries.
What kind of juniper berries are used in gin?
The juniper berry is known for imparting the traditional pine note of gin, although it can also come across as resiny, waxy, herbaceous, or even green and fresh. The juniper in gin is generally Juniperus communis; however, occasionally distillers use local species which can have a very different flavor in gin.
What juniper berries are not edible?
NOTE: The berries of Juniperus sabina and Juniperus oxycedrus are not safe for human consumption and should be avoided. Be certain you only consume berries from a variety you know is safe.
How do I know what kind of juniper I have?
A helpful way to perfect juniper tree identification is by looking at its cones. Juniper cones on male trees are small and either yellow or tan. The female plants produce colorful berries, which are actually modified cones. Northwest species berries turn blue at maturity, but some species have red berries.
Can humans eat juniper berries?
Juniper berry uses Unlike other berries, juniper berries are typically used only in small amounts to flavor foods — not eaten in large portions. They have an astringent, pine-like taste, which makes them a popular ingredient for seasoning recipes and infusing beverages.
Are Western juniper berries edible?
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) is found in central and eastern Oregon, and those berries are edible.
Are cedar berries and juniper berries the same?
Eastern red cedar berries are related to common juniper berries but are superior in flavor. They are mild without the turpentine notes and bitterness of common juniper. They are almost sweet with a woodsy, piney flavor.
Do you use fresh or dried juniper berries in gin?
Juniper berries are primarily used dried as opposed to fresh in gin production, but their flavour and odour is at their strongest immediately after harvest and declines during the drying process and subsequent storage.
Is Bombay Sapphire gin made with juniper berries?
Bombay Sapphire is a brand of gin, produced in England from a recipe of 10 botanicals: cassia, cubeb berries, coriander, angelica, juniper berries, orris root, almond, lemon, grains of paradise, and liquorice.
Do you crush juniper berries in gin?
Crush the juniper berries a little to help release the aromatics and place them inside your mason jar.
How does juniper berries look like?
It is not a true berry, but a cone with unusually fleshy and merged scales, which gives it a berry-like appearance. The cones from a handful of species, especially Juniperus communis, are used as a spice, particularly in European cuisine, and also give gin its distinctive flavour.
How do you pick juniper berries?
Juniper leaves are sharp, so it's best to use gloves when picking juniper berries. The time-honored way to pick is much like mulberry picking. Place a sheet underneath the shrub, grasp a branch with berries, and gently shake. The berries will fall off quite easily.
What Colour are juniper berries?
Juniper berries are used to flavour gin. Young berries are green in colour. Common juniper provides dense cover for nesting birds. Berries start off green before turning purple-black over time.
What do 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.
A Brief Introduction
First of all, let’s set the record straight. Juniper berries aren’t berries at all. They’re modified cones.
Juniper Identification
So, if you’re ready to start eating these underappreciated wonders, how do you go about finding the ones that are safe to eat?
How to Harvest
Early fall through spring is the best time to start your berry-picking adventures in most areas.
How to Use
To store, there is no need to dry them, just put them in an open container until it is about halfway full.
Juniper Berries Are an Underappreciated Treat
They’re so common and such a small amount goes such a long way, so I’m surprised more people don’t enjoy juniper berries.
What is juniper berry used for?
They were used to treat numerous diseases by the ancient Greeks as well as the Arabs and Native American Indians. The berries were used either chewed raw or steeped into a tea to treat gastrointestinal complaints, rheumatic pain, and for back and chest ailments.
What temperature to cook juniper berries?
Try adding juniper berries to your next batch of roasted potatoes. Preheat the oven to 350 F. (177 C.).
How long to cook juniper berries in oven?
Preheat the oven to 350 F. (177 C.). Place olive oil and juniper berries into a baking pan and put in the preheated oven for a few minutes to warm the berries and get them to release their essential oils.
What is the flavor of a juniper martini?
Juniper berries are what gives a gin martini its unique flavoring. While gin has been a popular intoxicant for over 300 years in western culture, juniper berries have actually been used medicinally since the 16th century.
How many species of juniper are there?
How to Use Juniper Berries. Common juniper, Juniperus comunis, belongs to the family Cupressaceae that encompasses around 60-70 species of aromatic evergreens throughout the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed conifer in the world and the most common in the Northern temperate region. Male and female reproductive organs are found ...
How many seasons does a berry have?
Male and female reproductive organs are found on separate plants, thus, only females have fruit. These berries mature in one to three seasons and contain one to twelve seeds, although the norm is around just three.
Can You Eat Juniper Berries?
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. While gin has been a popular intoxicant for over 300 years in western culture, juniper berries have actually been used medicinally since the 16th century.
What are juniper berries?
Juniper berries can flavor marinades. Several varieties of junipers are native to the United States, from tall trees to bush-like formations. All have lacy, leathery evergreen foliage. Junipers produce dusky blue berries that are actually cones containing seeds.
How to use juniper berries in meat?
To use juniper berries to flavor a meat marinade, pick two or three berries, wash them and drop them into the marinade liquid. Let the marinade sit in the refrigerator a few hours or overnight to absorb the flavor of the berries. Juniper berry-flavored marinades are popular for wild game, particularly deer.
What is the blush on the outside of juniper berries?
The whitish blush on the outside of juniper berries is wild yeast. You can make a sourdough starter by mixing a cup of flour, three or four berries and 1/4 cup water in a glass jar. Let sit in a warm place, loosely covered, until the mixture begins to form.
Can juniper cause diarrhea?
Oil of juniper is a powerful diuretic, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Poison Control Center reports that eating more than a few juniper berries can cause abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Advertisement.
What is a juniper plant?
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.
Why are juniper berries good for you?
Because they have a large quantity of antioxidants, juniper berries have a long list of health benefits. Consuming juniper berries can help to prevent major diseases, kill bacteria, improve the appearance of the skin, treat insomnia and even kill the parasite that causes leishmaniasis.
What are the three antioxidants that juniper berries have?
Perhaps most significantly, the activity of three extremely important antioxidants in the body is encouraged by juniper berries: superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase. (9) Issues with SOD are linked to ALS, Down syndrome, cancers and lung issues.
What is the only spice that comes from a conifer tree?
Juniper berries are officially the only spice to come from a conifer tree. (1) One of the major uses of these berries is in juni per berry essential oil. Known in folk medicine and some modern research as a natural antiseptic and antioxidant, the essential oil of juniper berries is a popular therapeutic oil.
What did the Greeks use juniper berries for?
Long before they were used in food, the Greeks used juniper berries as medicine and stimulants for Olympic athletes. (5) Romans used them as a less expensive pepper substitute.
Is juniper berry essential oil a natural antiseptic?
Natural antiseptic. The antibacterial and antifungal qualities of juniper berries have stood the test of time — which is one reason that juniper berry essential oil is often suggested as a natural household cleaning agent. These berries have compelling effects on many strains of bacteria and fungi.
Can you eat juniper berries with gin?
In addition to their slightly misleading name, juniper berries are also not a berry you would generally eat with breakfast, like blueberries (even though they’re similar in size). Instead, juniper berries are often used as a bitter spice. In fact, they give gin its distinctive flavor.
What are juniper berries?
Junipers are often grown as shrubs for screening and hedges and are also grown as small trees. Juniper's blue and purple berries are actually modified cones. The berries are greatly enjoyed by birds. A few species produce edible juniper berries that are enjoyed by humans.
What are the fruits of California juniper?
Various Native American groups in California used the berries and other parts of the plant to treat illnesses such as common colds, flu, constipation, high blood pressure and hiccups.
How tall is a juniper tree?
The common juniper can be grown in the landscape as a shrub or as a tree that can reach 25 feet in height. Common junipers are found growing wild throughout North America, as well as Europe and Asia. They are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 through 8, as well as several other zones, depending on the cultivar.
Why do juniper berries have a low toxicity?
Some species produce berries with a low toxicity to humans due to an oil called thujone. This oil causes mild digestive upset.
What is the most common juniper?
The common juniper (Juniperus communis) is the most widely known edible Juniper species. Its berries are used as a spice for flavoring meat and fish dishes, as well as sauerkraut, notes North Carolina State Cooperative Extension. However, the most prominent use for common juniper berries is in the flavoring of gin.
How many species of Juniper are there?
More than 40 different species in the genus of Juniper (Juniperus spp.) occur naturally in the wild. Many of these species have been cultivated for use in the home landscape. A hardy evergreen, juniper varieties are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 2 to 9, notes the University of Florida.
Can juniper berries be eaten raw?
Today the California juniper’s berries are eaten raw, cooked or ground into a powder used for flavoring. This perennial plant grows best in the dry rocky areas and is hardy to USDA zones 8 to 10, notes the Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute.
What is juniper berry used for?
Juniper berry uses. Unlike other berries, juniper berries are typically used only in small amounts to flavor foods — not eaten in large portions. They have an astringent, pine-like taste, which makes them a popular ingredient for seasoning recipes and infusing beverages.
Why are juniper berries important?
Juniper berries are rich in essential oils and flavonoids that function as potent antioxidants and may help reduce inflammation.
What are the compounds in Juniper Berry?
One test-tube study detected over 70 compounds in juniper berry essential oil, with the monoterpenes alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, myrcene, limonene, and sabinene making up the majority. All of them add to the oil’s strong antioxidant effects.
What are the volatile oils in juniper berries?
The volatile oils in juniper berries contain substances known as monoterpenes, including limonene, camphor, and beta-pinene. Monoterpenes have been shown to provide anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties ( 4 ).
What is a juniper tree?
The juniper tree, Juniperus communis, is an evergreen shrub that grows in many parts of the world, including North America, Europe, and Asia ( 1. Trusted Source. ). It produces seed cones that are commonly known as juniper berries. Though the berries’ coloring varies, most are deep blue. Their aroma is often described as woody or spicy.
Do Juniper berries have vitamins?
Though nutrition information on juniper berries is limited, they’re known to provide certain vitamins and an array of plant compounds.
Does Juniper Berry oil kill fungus?
In one test-tube study, juniper berry essential oil demonstrated antibacterial and antifungal effects against 16 species of bacteria, yeasts, yeast-like fungi, and dermatophytes, a type of fungus that grows on your skin, causing diseases like ringworm ( 16. Trusted Source.
Where can I find juniper berries?
Western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) is found in central and eastern Oregon , and those berries are edible. I use crushed juniper berries in my turkey brine every Thanksgiving.
Where is the western Juniper located?
This species occupies 9 million acres in central and eastern Oregon, northeastern California, southwestern...
What are juniper berries?
There are many varieties of juniper; you might be surprised to learn that the fruit of these trees are not berries at all but are actually female seed cone produced by the various species of junipers. These cones are unusually fleshy with merged scales, which gives them a berry-like appearance.
Where to find Juniper Berries
Junipers, and thus their berries, can be found in most parts of North America. They grow well in most soils with the exception of wet soil, which they tend to dislike. Because they can tolerate extremely dry conditions, you may even find them in cities and other unexpected places.
Identifying Juniper
Juniper tree varieties come in a variety of shades – from several shades of green to silvery to shades of blue, bronze and gold.
What are some ways to include Juniper berries in foods and drinks?
Juniper berries are a key ingredient in gin, and you can also use them to flavor meats and sauces, and to ferment foods such as homebrewed beverages and sauerkraut. You can also use the wild yeast on juniper berries as a starter for sourdough bread.
Medicinal Uses
Juniper berries have a lot of powerful medicinal uses. Juniper is a powerful diuretic – a herb that increases the flow of urine, helping to cleanse the system of excess fluids and stimulating the kidneys. This causes the body to flush out uric acid and excess crystals that can cause many problems including gout, arthritis and kidney stones.
Harvesting Juniper Berries
Juniper berries tend to be easiest to pick in the winter months when they’re ripe and blue-gray in color. As with any foraging, make sure you know what you’re looking for before going out in search of junipers.
Conclusion
I hope that this article has inspired you to give Juniper Berries a try. They are one of my favorite wild finds, and I guarantee you’ll find the flavor worth the work of foraging for them.
What is the most flavorful juniper berry?
Since this isn’t a botany class, I’m going to call them berries for the sake of conversation. The fruit of common juniper ( Juniperus communis) is generally considered to be the most flavorful juniper berry, but J. virginiana (eastern red cedar) also produces tasty, edible berries.
What does juniper berry taste like?
If you’ve ever tasted gin, you know what juniper berries taste like. The flavor is sometimes described as citrusy and evergreen, sometimes as reminiscent of rosemary. Juniper fruit has both bitter and sweet overtones. It’s complex, and useful for flavoring much more than gin.
How long does it take for a juniper to ripen?
Juniper fruit takes about two years to ripen, so it’s not unusual to find both green (unripe) and purple/blue (ripe) fruit on the tree at the same time. And while a ripe fruit makes an excellent trail nibble, an unripe fruit is intensely bitter and unpleasant.
Is it safe to eat juniper berries?
If eaten in huge quantities over an extended period of time, juniper berries may be toxic. But don’t let this alarm you unnecessarily. The same can be said of other common cooking spices.
Is juniper fruit fresh?
When you forage for your own juniper, you’ll know exactly how fresh and flavorful they are. The flavor of fresh juniper fruit is juicy and complex; I pick them as a trail nibble when I’m hiking. 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.
Is J. sabina toxic?
Here’s how it ends: “The quantity of toxic ingredients, sabinene and sabinol, in gin were unknown. Neither was anything known concerning their toxicity to man. In fact, no formal studies had ever been carried out on the chronic toxicity of these materials.”
Is Juniperus sabina dangerous?
There is one juniper ( Juniperus sabina) that may be dangerous when eat en, but scientific literature on the subject is frustratingly incomplete. Studies have been made of both the bark and essential oil of J. sabina. The amount of essential oil estimated as harmful to humans is approximately one gram.
