7/9/2020 Juniper berry - Wikipedia

Juniper berry
A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by
the various species of junipers. 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. Juniper berries may be the
only spice derived from conifers.[1]

Juniper berries, here still attached to a branch,

Contents are actually modified conifer cones.

Species
Characteristics
Uses
Health effects
History
Notes and references

Species
All juniper species grow berries, but some are considered too bitter
to eat. In addition to J. communis, other edible species include
Juniperus drupacea,[2][3] Juniperus phoenicea,[4] Juniperus
deppeana, and Juniperus californica.[5] But the berries of some
species, such as Juniperus sabina, are toxic and consumption of
them is inadvisable.[6]

Mature purple and younger green
juniper berries can be seen growing
alongside one another on the same
plant.
Characteristics
Juniperus communis berries vary from four to twelve millimeters in
diameter; other species are mostly similar in size, though some are
larger, notably J. drupacea (20–28 mm). Unlike the separated and
woody scales of a typical pine cone, those in a juniper berry remain
fleshy and merge into a unified covering surrounding the seeds. The
berries are green when young, and mature to a purple-black colour
over about 18 months in most species, including J. communis
(shorter, 8–10 months in a few species, and about 24 months in J.
drupacea).[2] The mature, dark berries are usually but not
exclusively used in cuisine, while gin is flavoured with fully grown
but immature green berries.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper_berry 1/4
7/9/2020 Juniper berry - Wikipedia

Uses
The flavor profile of young, green berries is dominated by pinene; as
they mature this piney, resinous backdrop is joined by what Harold
McGee describes as "green-fresh" and citrus notes.[7] The outer
scales of the berries are relatively flavourless, so the berries are
almost always at least lightly crushed before being used as a spice.
They are used both fresh and dried, but their flavour and odour are
at their strongest immediately after harvest and decline during
drying and storage.
Dried juniper berries at a market in
Juniper berries are used in northern European and particularly Syracuse, Sicily
Scandinavian cuisine to "impart a sharp, clear flavor"[1] to meat
dishes, especially wild birds (including thrush, blackbird, and
woodcock) and game meats (including boar and venison).[8] They also season pork, cabbage, and
sauerkraut dishes. Traditional recipes for choucroute garnie, an Alsatian dish of sauerkraut and meats,
universally include juniper berries.[9] Besides Norwegian and Swedish dishes, juniper berries are also
sometimes used in German, Austrian, Czech, Polish and Hungarian cuisine, often with roasts (such as
German sauerbraten). Northern Italian cuisine, especially that of the South Tyrol, also incorporates
juniper berries.

Juniper, typically Juniperus communis, is used to flavor gin, a liquor developed in the 17th century in
the Netherlands. The name gin itself is derived from either the French genièvre or the Dutch jenever,
which both mean "juniper".[1] Other juniper-flavoured beverages include the Finnish rye-and-juniper
beer known as sahti, which is flavored with both juniper berries and branches.[10]

Another drink made from the berries is a Julmust, a soft drink made in Sweden mainly sold during
Christmas. The brand Dry Soda produces a juniper-berry soda as part of its lineup. Recently, some
American distilleries have begun using 'New World' varieties of juniper such as Juniperus
occidentalis.[11]

A few North American juniper species produce a seed cone with a sweeter, less resinous flavor than those
typically used as a spice. For example, one field guide describes the flesh of the berries of Juniperus
californica as "dry, mealy, and fibrous but sweet and without resin cells".[12] Such species have been
used not just as a seasoning but as a nutritive food by some Native Americans.[13] In addition to medical
and culinary purposes, Native Americans have also used the seeds inside juniper berries as beads for
jewellery and decoration.[13]

An essential oil extracted from juniper berries is used in aromatherapy and perfumery.[4]

Health effects
While classified as generally recognized as safe in the United States,[14] juniper berries may have various
side effects that have not been tested extensively in clinical trials.[15] Mainly due to an increased risk of
miscarriage, even in small doses, consuming juniper berries may affect pregnant or breastfeeding
women[16] and people with diabetes, bleeding disorders or after surgery.[16] In traditional medicine,
juniper berries were used for female birth control.[13]

History
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper_berry 2/4
7/9/2020 Juniper berry - Wikipedia

Juniper berries, including Juniperus phoenicea and Juniperus oxycedrus have been found in ancient
Egyptian tombs at multiple sites. J. oxycedrus is not known to grow in Egypt, and neither is Juniperus
excelsa, which was found along with J. oxycedrus in the tomb of Tutankhamun.[17] The berries imported
into Egypt may have come from Greece; the Greeks record using juniper berries as a medicine long
before mentioning their use in food.[18] The Greeks used the berries in many of their Olympics events
because of their belief that the berries increased physical stamina in athletes.[19] The Romans used
juniper berries as a cheap domestically produced substitute for the expensive black pepper and long
pepper imported from India.[4] It was also used as an adulterant, as reported in Pliny the Elder's Natural
History: "Pepper is adulterated with juniper berries, which have the property, to a marvellous degree, of
assuming the pungency of pepper."[20] Pliny also incorrectly asserted that black pepper grew on trees
that were "very similar in appearance to our junipers".

Notes and references

1. Ciesla, William M (1998). Non-wood forest products from conifers. Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations. ISBN 978-92-5-104212-0. Chapter 8: Seeds, Fruits, and Cones
(http://www.fao.org/docrep/X0453E/X0453e12.htm). Retrieved July 27, 2006.
2. Farjon, A. (2005). A Monograph of Cupressaceae and Sciadopityaceae. Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew. pp. 228–400. ISBN 978-1-84246-068-9.
3. Adams, R. P. (2004). Junipers of the World: The genus Juniperus. Trafford. ISBN 978-1-4120-4250-
5.
4. Dalby, A. (2002). Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices. University of California Press. p. 33.
ISBN 978-0-520-23674-5.
5. Peattie, D., & Landacre, P. H. (1991). A Natural History of Western Trees. Houghton Mifflin. p. 226.
ISBN 978-0-395-58175-9.
6. Grieve, M. (1984). A Modern Herbal. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14-046440-5.
7. McGee, Harold (2004). On Food and Cooking (Revised Edition). Scribner. p. 410. ISBN 978-0-684-
80001-1.
8. Montagne, Prosper. The Concise Larousse Gastronomique. Octopus. p. 691. ISBN 978-0-600-
60863-9.
9. Steingarten, Jeffrey (1997). "True Choucroute". The Man Who Ate Everything. Vintage Books.
p. 244. ISBN 978-0-375-70202-0. The chapter is an essay first published in 1989.
10. Jackson, Michael (1995). Sweating up a suitable thirst (http://www.beerhunter.com/documents/19133
-000055.html). Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter. Retrieved 30 July 2006.
11. Bend Distillery. Cascade Mountain Gin (http://www.bendistillery.com/cascade-mtn-gin.html) Archived
(https://web.archive.org/web/20110707223103/http://www.bendistillery.com/cascade-mtn-gin.html)
2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine. Bend Distillery. Retrieved 10 Dec 2010.
12. Peattie, Donald; Paul (1991). A Natural History of Western Trees. Houghton Mifflin Field Guides.
p. 226. ISBN 978-0-395-58175-9.
13. Moerman, Daniel E (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. pp. 282–90. ISBN 978-0-
88192-453-4.
14. "Title 21, Chapter I, Subchapter B, Part 182, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations – Substances
Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS); section §182.20 Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and
natural extractives (including distillates)" (https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=e956d645a8b4e6
b3e34e4e5d1b690209&mc=true&node=pt21.3.182&rgn=div5). U.S. Government Publishing Office. 3
May 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2017.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper_berry 3/4
7/9/2020 Juniper berry - Wikipedia

15. Barnes, Joanne; Anderson, Linda A.; Phillipson, J. David (2007). Herbal Medicines (https://archive.or
g/details/herbalmedicines04barn) (3rd ed.). Pharmaceutical Press. p. 386 (https://archive.org/details/
herbalmedicines04barn/page/n396). ISBN 978-0-85369-623-0. "There is a lack of clinical research
assessing the efficacy and safety of juniper. There is evidence that the berries are abortifacient and
since this is believed not to be due to the oil there must be other toxic constituents present. In view of
this, use of juniper should not exceed levels specified in food legislation. Juniper is contra-indicated
during pregnancy and should not be used during lactation. [...] There is a lack of clinical safety and
toxicity data for juniper and further investigation of these aspects is required."
16. "Juniper: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings" (http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppleme
nts/ingredientmono-724-juniper.aspx?activeingredientid=724&activeingredientname=juniper).
WebMD.com. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
17. Manniche, Lisa (1999). Sacred Luxuries: Fragrance, Aromatherapy, and Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt
(https://archive.org/details/sacredluxuriesfr0000mann). Cornell University Press. p. 21 (https://archiv
e.org/details/sacredluxuriesfr0000mann/page/21). ISBN 978-0-8014-3720-5.
18. Dalby, Andrew (1997). Siren Feasts: A History of Food and Gastronomy in Greece. Routledge.
p. 142. ISBN 978-0-415-15657-8.
19. James, Lorman. (1997) Greek Life. Gregory House: New York. 76–77.
20. From Bostock and Riley's 1855 translation. Text online (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?do
c=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137&query=head%3D%23741).

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Juniper_berry&oldid=965029645"

This page was last edited on 29 June 2020, at 00:21 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site,
you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a
non-profit organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper_berry 4/4