IF you said juniper berries, you were right!
A juniper berry is the female seed cone produced by various species of junipers.
It is not a true berry but a cone with fleshy and merged scales, giving it a berry-like appearance.
The cones from a handful of species, notably Juniperus communis, are used as a spice. In the Middle Ages, the scent of juniper was believed to ward off plague, witches, evil spirits, curses and contagious diseases. The juniper berry has been an herbal remedy for urinary problem and gallstones and is an old folk remedy for gout.
Juniper berries gives gin its distinguishing flavor. The name gin derives from genièvre, the French word for juniper berry. Golden raisins soaked in gin are a popular home remedy to relieve arthritis.
We don’t have enough berries to make gin, instead Grenville dries the berries and uses them to season pork roasts. Crushing the berries before using releases their distinctive flavor.
14 comments:
Cool, never seen or tasted them before ! We have trees as hedges that look like junipers but they dont grow any berries ! Have a wonderful day !
Very interesting!
HI B...Well now isn't that something ..I knew about the use for gin but not the others!!
I think they are he most lovely shade of blue ..thanks for the info!! : }}
Grace
Now that's an interesting bit of trivia!
Beautiful! I will just have to imagine their flavor..I have never tasted Gin:)
I haven't found a single juniper berry this year. They have a very distinctive taste and it is so easy to take to much when making a pork roast :-) :-)
Have a great day!
Christer.
I love that first photo!
As a child I used to collect them in the forest. Unfortunately they are not native in Australia.
In Sweden Juniper is a protected plant.
I think I have seen these down south a way but not around here. Doesn't mean they don't exist though.
Very interesting, have never harvested the juniper berries but recognized them in your post. Knew about gin but not their other uses. Happy New Year to you both!
They are such a pretty color. I would have guessed them to be blueberries. Interesting post!
Thanks Everyone for the comments. I learned a lot more about the juniper berry in doing this post. The berries shown were from a large branch that had broken off a tree and after I took all of them off. They will be wonderful to season the next roast pork loin we serve for dinner.
It is so nice to "meet" you! Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment.
This is so interesting about the juniper berries.
I look forward to following you and I wish you safe travel visiting with your family and many blessings in the new year. Mildred
Hi Mildred from Maple Lane, thanks for the visit and comment. Glad you enjoyed this post. I enjoy sharing things I learn about. Thanks for the well wishes and our best wishes to you and Mr Maple Lane for a peaceful and joyous New Year. I look forward to making new blog friends in 2012!
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