How to Dry Juniper Berries
Warning
People with kidney disease and women who are pregnant should not consume juniper berries.
The flavor of the juniper berry gives gin its flavor. The berries are also used in meat dishes, especially in Scandinavian and northern Europe cuisine. Juniper berries have long been a folk remedy for relieving urinary infections, gout and arthritis, as well as for cleansing the kidneys. After picking your juniper berries, allow them to dry for several weeks to preserve them.
Spread your berries out on a sheet and remove bugs, twigs, leaves and other debris.
Sort through the berries and discard any that are green. Green berries will not dry properly. A ripe juniper berry is blue.
- The flavor of the juniper berry gives gin its flavor.
- After picking your juniper berries, allow them to dry for several weeks to preserve them.
Place the ripe juniper berries on a baking sheet. Move them to a location where they will be out of reach of curious pets and children. They can dry indoors at room temperature.
Allow the berries to completely dry for about three weeks.
Sort through your berries again. Discard berries that are brown. Examine the remaining berries for entrance holes. Holes in a berry means that it has bugs. Discard bug-damaged berries.
- Place the ripe juniper berries on a baking sheet.
- Holes in a berry means that it has bugs.
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Writer Bio
Catherine Chase is a professional writer specializing in history and health topics. Chase also covers finance, home improvement and gardening topics. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in American studies from Skidmore College.
