October Spice Club: Juniper Berries
Juniper berries are the ripe, dried cones of the evergreen shrub. All juniper berries share a general flavor profile characterized by a strong fresh scent with a piney, citrusy, and slightly bitter taste. The berries from the Juniperus Communis are most commonly used for cooking, especially in Europe, where they are used as a spice and for flavoring spirits, such as gin.
Norway, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia use juniper in their ales. This recipe for Norwegian pork ribs also makes use of the peppery underflavor of juniper berries. You might want to save this recipe for the holidays!
But juniper berries are strong, and a few berries go a long way. To use up extra berries, simply
drop a few into a container of olive oil, let it sit for a few days, and you’ve made juniper berry olive oil! Use the oil to cook, or serve it with fresh bread before a meal.
You can also use juniper berries to make an herbal infusion, just as the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Nordic peoples did. To make a juniper berry herbal infusion, simply steep crushed juniper berries in boiling water for 15 minutes. Add sweetener to taste. If you prefer a cold drink, then try making this juniper and tonic mocktail.
Many Native American nations use their local juniper species to make herbal infusions, as medicine, or in ceremonies, although uses vary from nation to nation. If you’re interested in how juniper and other plants have been used by different Native American nations, you can search the Native American Ethnobotany Database.
RECIPES
Juniper-infused olive oil (olive oil + a few juniper berries)
Today’s blog post was written by Caroline Shaltz Toplanaj, librarian at RHPL.
