More Booze: Juniper Schnapps

I may just as well build a still out back behind the rusted Chevette... – Docaitta

Ripe juniper berries. Photo: Ole Husby, Flickr ccl

I promised a friend I would post this recipe, so here it is. One thing I didn’t know is that juniper berries can be harvested all year round. I thought this might be the case, as they take 2-3 years to mature, but had no confirmation. Obviously berries of all ripeness would be on the same bush at the same time, throughout the year. So get on your boots, and head out the door!

Remember, the green berries are unripe. It’s the blue ones that are mature. Once washed and dried they will turn the dark colour you’re after. Alternatively purchase them at the store.

The following is from eHow:

Throughout the centuries, juniper berries have been widely used in medicinal preparations; as a spice, game seasoning, moth repellent and air freshener; in jam and tea; and to make gin. 

Today, a resurgence of interest in juniper berries has erupted, focused on herbal medicine. Massage oils also commonly contain juniper berries to promote a feeling of relaxation. The berries form on small evergreen trees year round and can be harvested all year. Only female trees produce the berries.

After harvesting, place the juniper berries in a colander and rinse with warm, soapy water. Wash the soap from the berries with cold water.

Spread the berries in a single layer on a metal sheet and place in a sunny window. Let the berries naturally dry in the sun until they are shriveled and look like a tiny raisin.

You can store the dried berries in the dark in an air-tight container or zip-top bag for up to one year.

Juniper Schnapps

Photo: Martin Kimeldorfs Pixel Playground, Flickr ccl 

50-75 juniper berries

1 tbsp good quality honey

750 ml vodka (potato preferred)

Rinse the juniper berries and allow to dry. Put the whole berries into a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.

Heat 1 tbsp honey to liquid stage, if not already liquid.  Mix with the vodka. Add both to to the juniper berries.

Steep for 14 days in a dark place at room temperature (18-20°C, 64-68°F). Shake gently and taste from time to time to attain the level of juniper infusion you wish.

Strain and filter the schnapps into a clean glass bottle or jar.

Allow to age for at least one month in a dark place at room temperature before serving.

After some time you will notice essential oil on the surface of your schnapps. That´s quite normal and the way it should be – just shake the bottle before use.

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Foraging 6: The Magical Juniper Berry

Variety is the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavor. 

– William Cowper

Photo: richardcjones, Flickr ccl

Juniper  (Juniperus communis L.) belongs to the genus Cupressaceae. In Nova Scotia, the common juniper ranges from a flat-growing shrub to a more upright bush, depending on growing conditions. Completely hardy, it can survive in very poor soil, as well as rich. Poor soil results in a lower, wide spread bush.

The volatile oils of juniper berries are most famous for flavoring Gin (named from the French for juniper, "genievre"). It is one of the very few examples of a spice growing in a northern climate.

  

History of Juniper

The plant is  widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere and grows prolifically in the wild. Juniper has been found being used for medicinal purposes as far back as the second millennium BCE on an Egyptian papyrus.

During Roman times, the dried berries were used in place of pepper, which was scarce and expensive. 

During the Renaissance, they were used in cooking as an aid in digestion. It is thought that  this is the reason they are included in Gin, which was first distilled in Holland in the 1600s.

You can find juniper growing along the roadside throughout
Nova Scotia. Always harvest from an unpolluted area.

Juniper Harvesting

Juniper berries take two or three years to ripen, so blue and green berries are often seen together on the same plant. Only the blue, ripe berries are picked. Once picked, lay them out to dry for a few days. During this time they will lose some of the blue and turn the blackish colour seen when purchased. 

If harvesting by hand, it may be advisable to wear gloves, as juniper needles are rigid and prickly, which can cause some discomfort.

Juniper grows prolifically in Nova Scotia, on mostly difficult soil. It is easy to spot them due to their berries (which are actually modified cones), and multi-stems growing from a single wide mat.

Juniper in Cooking

Juniper berries have a bitter-sweet taste and aroma which goes particularly well with stronger meats. If used judiciously it also complements chicken, pork and even salmon. 

They are excellent in marinades,  stuffings and pâtés and are also particularly good with cabbage, being a traditional ingredient in German Sauerkraut.

A Warning

Medicinally, juniper is used as a diuretic and also as a uterine stimulant during labour to improve contractions. It should be avoided during pregnancy and  should not be used when breastfeeding. Do not give to children under 12 years or the elderly, or to people with kidney disease.

In sufficient quantity, juniper can also have an adverse affect on glucose levels in the blood, so should be used cautiously by diabetics.

Salmon with Juniper Sauce

Prep: 5 min  | Cooking: 15 min  | Serves 4

Pan seared salmon with asparagus and red pepper polenta
Photo: broken thoughts, Flickr ccl

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp juniper berries

1/2 tsp salt

4 salmon portions, skin removed

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup dry vermouth

1/4 cup 32% whipping cream

Crush the pepper and juniper berries. Combine with the salt and rub onto the surface of the salmon. 

Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the salmon and cook for 5 minutes per side. Remove fish and keep warm

Add the vermouth to the pan and let reduce by half. Add the cream and allow to reduce to the consistency of a sauce.

Pour over the warm salmon and serve.

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