Sage-Tips

What happens if you eat juniper berries?

All juniper berries contain the powerful oil Thujone. This oil can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and kidney problems when ingested in large quantities. Certain varieties of juniper berry contain safe, low amounts of Thujone, while other varieties contain high levels and can make you very sick.

Can you eat the berries from a juniper?

Yes, juniper berries are edible. 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.

Are raw juniper berries poisonous?

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?

Look for a plant with berries that appear blue on it in this open sunny area. The berries are a little smaller than regular blueberries and grown at the ends of the branches. You will smell a pine aroma that is very strong as you come closer to the juniper plant. They hang in clusters.

Is gin made from juniper berries?

Gin is made by distilling a neutral grain alcohol with juniper berries and other botanicals to make the fragrant spirit we all know and love. The botanicals are infused into the raw spirit to release their flavours. Try our easy compound gin recipe and add a bottle to your drinks cabinet.

What can I do with juniper berries?

The spicy, aromatic, dark berries of the juniper tree can be used fresh or dried, crushed or whole, to flavour casseroles, marinades and stuffings and complement pork, rabbit, venison, beef and duck. They can also be used in sweet dishes such as fruitcake. Juniper berries also provide the main flavouring for gin.

Is juniper wood poisonous?

Savin Juniper is known to be toxic and potentially deadly poisonous if taken in large enough quantities. It can be difficult to accurately distinguish between different species of cultivated junipers because they have been bred to have unique features not present in their wild forms.

Can you smoke juniper?

Practical uses of the juniper’s wood are few, and it was most commonly used to burn. This wasn’t so much for its heat, but rather for its smoke. Though burning juniper wood gives off only minimal visible smoke, this smoke is highly aromatic. In ancient times people used it for the ritual purification of temples.

Are juniper needles edible?

In North America, there are 13 indigenous species that grow wild, and more that are commercially cultivated varieties, not all of which are edible. If you look closely at a juniper branch, you’ll find that they all have tiny scale-like needles. On younger trees, the needles can be sharp and prickly.

Which junipers are poisonous?

Can you eat dried juniper berries?

The spicy, aromatic, dark berries of the juniper tree can be used fresh or dried, crushed or whole, to flavour casseroles, marinades and stuffings and complement pork, rabbit, venison, beef and duck. They can also be used in sweet dishes such as fruitcake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOnNkdnPIJE