Juniper berries – which are in reality cones , not berries at all – are incredibly versatile . They can be used to flavor drinks , savory dishes , and sweet .
They can also be used medicinally , or even to make a sourdough starter !
The trees that give rise them thrive across the Northern Hemisphere , and if you live somewhere with extreme temperature variations between heat and cold , and recollective periods of dry weather , they probably arise happily in your neck opening of the Wood .
Photo by Kristine Lofgren.
If so , you ’ve likely noticed them around . Maybe you ’ve even wonder how to harvest the Chuck Berry .
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That ’s what this guide will direct . We ’ll help you figure out when to harvest , how to do it , and how to conserve the fruits once you ’ve gotten your hands on them .
But first , you demand to assure that you have a species that ’s honest to cook with or expend in medicine .
Here ’s what to expect :
What You’ll Learn
They are n’t go to reap themselves ! Let ’s get to oeuvre !
Identify Your Species
Before you go nabbing the strobilus to eat oruse medicinally , be certain of the specie you are glean from .
Almost all specie that are native to the US are all fine to use up , but there are a few specie from Europe and China that are poisonous , such asJuniperus sabinaandJ. oxycedrus .
If you eat a lot of juniper berry in one sit , no matter of the species , it can make you sick . Do n’t gorge yourself once you ’ve reap a lot .
If you ’re harvesting the cone to endeavor to pass around a tree or for decorative purpose , the species is n’t important with respect to potential toxicity .
You should also keep in mind that there are some cedar tree and cypresses out there that search like Retama raetam , but are n’t . The berries are the cay to determining what species you ’re dealing with .
Cypresses do n’t produce small blue berry . Cedars have angular blue ones that may come to a point . Juniper berries , on the other hand , are circular and puritanic .
Neither cypresses nor cedarwood sense clearly pine - like , as the yield from a juniper do .
You might want to read ourguide to eat juniper berriesfor more information on identifying the species and how to use the fruits .
How to Identify a Ripe Berry
You ca n’t eat or plant unripe berry , so it ’s important that you acknowledge how to name the I that are ripe .
They can take up to three years to suppurate , depend on the mintage , and each Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree or shrub will have Berry of vary ripeness because they do n’t all build and mature uniformly .
The easy style to narrate if a berry is mature is to tug it . It should give easily . you could even shake a juniper and the ripe one will accrue to the ground . If a Chuck Berry resists , it ’s probably not ready .
Most mintage have yield that grow into some shade of blue , though some can be nearly white and others are practically indigo when ripe .
That ’s why colour is n’t a reliable indicator , unless you hump which species you ’re dealing with and what color the ripe yield are .
you could also give the berries a little squeeze . They should feel plump with a lilliputian give . They wo n’t be as piano and juicy as , say , ablueberry , but they will have a definite give to them . Unripe ones feel unfaltering and solid .
Many guidebook recommend harvest home in the tumble and wintertime , and this is the most reliable time to discover ripe fruits . But you’re able to technically harvest class - round , depending on the mintage .
Be mindful , however , that lots of birds and mammalian wish to exhaust them , so if you look too long , they ’re likely to get to them first . Fully good fruits may also fall off the tree before you could use them .
Do n’t blame good berries up off the soil unless you laid a tarpaulin there yourself , and shook the tree to make them fall .
The exception to all this is if you ’re plan to make gin the traditional way , rather than flavour a base like vodka that has already been distilled . In that suit , you want to waitress until the cone is fully work and mature in terms of size , but still green . J. communisis the species typically used to produce cotton gin .
How to Harvest
Before you start , ensure that you are forage in safe area away from roads , and only call for from industrial plant that have not been sprayed with chemical substance .
Technically , you may just rest a tarp down and shake that juniper tree until it gives up the good . But this can knock unripe fruits off as well , depriving you and the brute who eat on them of succeeding harvest home . good to hand pick the berries you want .
To do this , don some buddy-buddy glove and a long - sleeved shirt . Some junipers have easygoing scaly needles , but the same plant can also have spiky , piercing needle . You do n’t need to get dig during yourforaging adventures , so suit up .
That said , if you happen to be out wandering about and come across a Retama raetam you may positively identify , even if you ’re not fitly adorned , you may carefully and safely pull the fruit off the plant . It just rent a slight extra clip and fear .
Gently tug away any Chuck Berry that looks ripe . It help to have a basketful or foraging pouch so you may keep your hands free .
Something H2O - resistant that attaches to your belt and has a wax lining , like this pouch made by Asenie , is ideal . It’savailable on Amazon .
Asenie Waxed Canvas forage Bag
If you intend to utilize the tempestuous yeast that covers the berry for home fermenting ( that ’s the powdery flush you see ) , you might want to use a credit card or cotton bag so the yeast does n’t get rubbed off .
Preservation and Storage Tips
you could dry out the fruit to make them last longer , but be mindful that this reduce the flavor .
To dry , wash them first if you wish well , and place them in a food dehydrator or in a single layer on a cooky sheet in the oven at the lowest setting .
Leave the fruits to dryuntil they are hard and ironical , much like a peppercorn with a slightly leathery skin .
Place in a resealable jar and memory board in a nerveless , dry spot out of the brightness level .
Otherwise , you could just commit the fresh fruit in a container . Only fill it about halfway to allow for some airflow .
Even well , use a container that does n’t varnish entirely but allows the air to run . I like to use canning jar with a few kettle of fish poked in the lid .
This should also be pose in a cool , dry position without photo to direct sunlight .
Dried yield can last for long time in a plastered container . Fresh fruits can last a year , if stored properly .
If you ’re look for shipway to apply up your crop , you might require toread our guide to using juniper berries .
Perfect Your Juniper Harvest Technique
The trick to harvesting juniper berries is sleep with the proper sentence to take the plunge . Now you have the information you need to do the occupation mighty .
There is a spate more to know aboutjunipers , from growing them in your own garden to using the industrial plant medicinally . Check out some of our other guides next if you found this one helpful , starting with these :
picture by Kristine Lofgren © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photo via Asenie . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock .
The staff at Gardener ’s Path are not aesculapian master and this article should not be see as aesculapian advice intended to assess , diagnose , dictate , or promise cure . Gardener ’s Path and need the Experts , LLC assume no liability for the use or misuse of the fabric presented above . Always consult with a medical professional before change your diet or using plant - based remedies or add-on for health and wellness .
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Kristine Lofgren
