When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Even though you can make some delicious and healthy things with juniper there are still some important things to consider. There are both edible and poisonous junipers. You need to be aware of which berries are safe to eat. The Juniperus communis berries are considered the best and the safest juniper berries for eating. All juniper species grow berries, but many of them are considered too bitter to eat and some are even toxic for you.
If you are not sure, leave and get your junipers some other way. Juniper berries have a strong effect on the kidneys and can cause increased stress on them.
When Should I Avoid Them? If you've tried gin, you have a fair idea of the taste of fresh juniper berry. Gin is a neutral spirit that is flavored predominantly with Juniper. The berries taste very sweet and aromatic.
But some say that the berries have a piney taste with some pepper or citrus elements. Suffice to say that as they are cones and not berries botanically they taste more to that earthy pine taste than for instance the taste of strawberries. The smell of juniper can be described as a lovely, piney aromatic scent. It has a pretty strong scent. The first is called Pinene and is common to many conifers.
So, you can use them as a spice in your kitchen. Juniper berries will blend right into a chicken dish or any game dish. Game dishes are dishes made up of game meat from animals that were hunted down. More precautions need to be taken into account at this point. Pregnant women should try to consume juniper berries sparingly if they cannot do without them.
It can cause uterine contractions and lead to complications with the pregnancy if such care is not taken. If you are not pregnant or cooking for a pregnant woman, juniper berries can be paired with prunes and enjoyed with roast duck.
This adaptation comes from a recipe in the Bon Appetit Magazine. Juniper berries can also be stewed with venison in the fashion of the British and Navajo. Choucroute garnie is a dish that is popular in a French province right at the border of Germany.
It is a hot sauerkraut dish that contains meat, and sausages and is very popular during the winter; juniper berries can also be used in the preparation of this dish.
The edible species of juniper berries are Juniperus communis, Juniperus drupacea, Juniperus californica, Juniperus deppeana, and Juniperus phoenicea. Juniperus sabina falls under the category of inedible juniper berries and consumption is unadvisable. Juniper trees can grow up to 20 feet in height, and the berries are usually about 4 to 12 millimeters in diameter. When young and unripe, the berries have a green color that morphs into a purple-black color as they ripen. The ripe juniper berries are used in the kitchen, while the unripe ones are usually used to flavor gin.
There are speculations that they were probably imported from Greece, as Greeks were fond of using juniper berries because they believed it increased their stamina as athletes in the Olympic games.
Juniper berries grow throughout the entire northern hemisphere of the world. Juniper berries can be planted in your garden and harvested from there, or harvested from the wild if you come across them.
It is a great idea to always verify what species of juniper berries you have in your possession before you eat them. Technically rosemary is a herb and not a spice but it would work just fine and even add medicinal properties to the mix.
Does Baileys Expire or Go Bad? Luckily, I already had a doctor appointment scheduled the next day. Jamie Oliver stews the berries with venison, as both the Navajo and British did in days of yore. Juniper berries are a common ingredient in Germanic food. Lisa Bramen was a frequent contributor to Smithsonian. She is based in northern New York and is also an associate editor at Adirondack Life magazine.
Ask Smithsonian A Smithsonian magazine special report. Juniper berries Image courtesy of Janellie About a year ago I went a little crazy in a specialty spice store and picked up all kinds of exotic spices to try.
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