Herbalism: The Juniper Berry Uses 101

While on a foraging hunt yesterday afternoon I came across many useful native plants at my local city park. It got me wondering about how many people really don't tap into their local resources. What I mean by this is that they don't know where their food comes from. Nor do most people know what their food looks like unprocessed. This is all to common for the fast paced world we live in today. 

I recall a time when I asked my nephew if he knew where spices and herbs came from. Looking confused he replied, "from the store"? I giggled and replied, "No they come from nature". I went on to explain to him how stores gather food for people. I also explained to him that these foods are then processed for us to make it "easier" for us to use. His curiosity was peaked so I showed him some pictures on the internet of some raw seeds. He was astonished on how different they looked. I think this started a passion for growing food for himself too. Now whenever he isn't have his teen phase he will jump in and help me garden. He has told me that there is something about getting your fingers in dirt that is relaxing. I couldn't agree more with him. Not everyone is privileged to have the option of garden to table experiences. I feel its our duty to educate ourselves and the younger generations to learn these methods.

An easy way to start this experience is to go to your local farmers market. Get to know the farmers because they will be gladly to share tips, secrets, or even recipes that you wont find anywhere else. I went to one of my food markets here in San Antonio, Texas a couple years ago to check it out and I found it very pleasant. I came across an elderly couple who were selling squash blossoms and they were very eager to share their knowledge and technics on how to prepare them. If I had not started this dialog with them I may have never known they were edible or even so delicious. I bought a couple bags from there and didn't regret it at all. Point being interact, learn, and try different things.

Juniper berries have many uses from medicinal, culinary, and even decorative. For starters just a fun fact if you aren't familiar with gin ingredients, guess what? Juniper berries are one of the ingredients in making this drink. Here are more fun facts about the Juniper Berry.

Steam Distilled
Parts Used - Female Seed Cones aka Berries. If you have your own local juniper berry trees I recommend going out and foraging them. If not you can buy in bulk here Juniper Berries 1 lbs Bulk. You can also use these seeds for cooking so make sure to save some for later. I will post some recipes and link them to you.

If you don't have access to a distiller you can buy them online Juniper Berry Essential Oil. You have several options depending on your budget.

Essential Oil Notes: Crisp, Woody, Sweet, Earthy, With notes of fruity scents.

Benefits & Improves:
Blood Circulation
Helps Remove Toxins in Body
Removing Excessive gas from Intestines
Relax Muscle Cramps and Cures Spasmodic Cholera
Helps with Toothaches
Helps Overcome Fatigue
Fights Depression
Antiseptic
Air Purification
Antibacterial
Immune Support
Inflammation Reduction
Skin Conditions
Wound Healing

Cooking Uses:
Brine's
Flavoring Meats (game birds and venison)

Recipes to come...

As you will find out as you subscribe to my blog that I will talk about tea a lot. So for those non-tea lovers you may hate me but until you try it don't judge. Below I will post one of my favorite recipes that I found online, however, if you want something instant you can try this Organic Juniper Berries Tea Bags.

Juniper Berry Tea - You will need:
1 TBSP Dried Juniper Berries
1 cup of hot water
1/4 organic lemon
1 tsp Organic Raw Blue Agave Sweetener or honey
1 sprig of fresh mint

Serves 1 person

Instructions:
Bring water to a boil. Place your berries into your Tea Strainer and steep for 3-5 minutes. Strain out the berries. While your tea is hot pour in your agave or honey and stir. You now can pour your tea over ice. If you rather have a stronger tea you can place your tea in the freezer for about 20-30 mins. Once your tea is chilled squeeze in your lemon juice and add a sprig of fresh mint, enjoy.

In a later post which I will link here, I will post recipes for you to try with this beneficial berry. If you have any questions please let me know. I hope you find this useful and enlightening. Please subscribe if you haven't and share my blog with your friends. Knowledge is power. 

As a disclaimer I always recommend you continue your treatment with any medicine you are currently taking. I am not a doctor and I am not prescribing any doses for you to substitute your current therapy or treatment. If you have questions about interaction with your medication always consult your doctor before consumption. Do not consume if you are pregnant or suffering from kidney disease.