Juniper: A Native Spice on a Tree Near You
How often does one think of juniper as a locally grown, seasonal spice—fresh and blue, and sweetly resinous? When you come upon a tree, pop a couple of the berries (more about that nomenclature, later) and give them a gentle chew.
Photography by Marie Viljoen.
Beneficial to birds and wildlife, and useful to humans, a juniper tree festooned with fruit is a gorgeous winter sight. Water-wise and drought-tolerant, they require full sun (six hours-plus) and excellent drainage.
It is worth being aware of this semantic murk so that you head for the correct tree, in print, online, or at a nursery.
About those juniper berries: They are not berries, but modified cones. Never be tempted to eat a handful of juniper at a time (although, why would you?
I collect ripe juniper berries from late fall through early spring. Most studies I’ve read that deliver a toxic verdict include subjecting unfortunate laboratory animals to very high concentrations of the plant, or analyze what happened to browsing animals after they ingested a great deal.
But it is a surprisingly versatile spice:
Juniper’s scented resin is beautiful paired with early-summer strawberries in ice cream.
Juniper paired with Meyer lemons and fir for a fermented cordial.
Ground up and mixed with sugar or salt, juniper perfumes cured meats and fish (like wild salmon gravlax).
Juniper sugar enervates and festively frosts the glass rim of an eau de vie glass. For making syrups and infusions, I grind the juniper whole, wiping the spice grinder as soon as it has been used, as the resin tends to gum up the blades.
A winter salad of burrata with fresh sauerkraut and juniper.
Sauerkraut with Juniper
• 1 medium head of red cabbage (about 2 lbs). Cut the cabbage thinly and place it in a large bowl. I leave my cabbage for about 10 days at moderate room temperature (below 72 degrees), but this is on the short side.