How to Eat Juniper Berry

Juniper berries are small berries that take up to three years to ripen to their eventual blue-black color. Their flavor is considered astringent and bitter, which certainly doesn’t seem worth the three-year wait for them to ripen. Once you have purchased ripe juniper berries, use them as an ingredient after thoroughly washing them under cold water to remove any dirt.

Instructions

- 1
  Add juniper berries to sauces intended for meats that have strong, deep flavors. Meats such as venison, boar, pork, duck and goose can withstand a sauce with an ingredient as rich as juniper berry. Add a handful of the berries to the existing sauce mix, and allow the sauce to absorb the flavor.
- 2
  Steep several crushed juniper berries in a cup of hot water for around 10 minutes. Strain the water into a new cup so you are left with the flavorsome, fragrant water but not the bitter whole berries.
- 3
  Add juniper berries to other fruits for a healthy smoothie. You could also add a handful of juniper berries to a smoothie mix to give the fruit drink a burst of deep, unique flavor. The berries will not be too overpowering due to the presence of other neutralizing fruit flavors.

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