Winter is definitely the time to start thinking about juniper berry recipes!
Juniper berries (actually a cone, not a berry) are a spice that has been used for centuries in many cuisines around the world. They have found their way into European, Asian and Middle Eastern recipes, as well as American dishes. They have a slightly bitter taste, but are very versatile in the kitchen.
I have used juniper berries with game, such as venison, as well as as a flavoring for vegetables and even desserts. The taste is best described as mildly resinous with a hint of citrus and pine. The aroma is similar to gin!
If you’ve never cooked with juniper berries before, you should handle them with caution, as their flavor is so intense that it can easily overwhelm a dish if too many are used. For most households, including mine, a cup lasts all year.
Below are a few of my favorite juniper recipes that I use regularly and have adapted from my two favorite books on wild cooking: Foraging, harvesting, feasting – a wild-inspired harvest by Marie Viljoe And The Food Gatherer’s Pantry – Cooking with Wild Edibles by Ellen Zachos. If you want to wild food’ kitchen, then I couldn’t recommend these two books more highly.
I especially like that the emphasis is on plants that can be harvested sustainably or that have the potential for commercial cultivation, such as lamb’s quartersservice berries, and nettles. It also highlights how we can easily transform traditional weeds and invasive plants into tempting dishes. How soul satisfying to make the chore of eradicating destructive garlic mustard and annoying purslane in the harvest for pesto or as a substitute for spinach or other traditionally prepared vegetables.