Cooking with Juniper Berries

One of the least-common and least-appreciated plants used in cooking, juniper is a tree that offers fresh-tasting, piney berries that give a pungent and uncommon flavor to foods. Although the tree itself is quite common, the spice--made from the dried, crushed berries-- is rarely used and can offer a unique twist to your favorite recipes.

Juniper's best-known culinary use is its addition to gin and some types of beer and stout. It gives a fresh and slightly spicy flavor to alcoholic beverages and is well-known for giving gin its zesty, bright taste. Its uses are often best suited to drinks, but it can also be used in cooking savory meals.

Some cooks have found that juniper's best uses are as a complement or substitute for rosemary, which has a similarly evergreen flavor. Try experimenting by using juniper in place of rosemary on pork, beef, lamb, and other strong meats-- the flavor is delightfully uncommon and exotic.

Additionally, traces of dried juniper berry are often used to punch up sauces and soups, especially those that contain red or black pepper, sage, parsley, garlic, mint, or onions. It is a delicious addition to your favorite hearty tomato sauce and can balance and complement the rich flavors of strong vegetables.

Because juniper berries have such a high concentration of the plant's essential oils, very little of it is needed to add a strong bite to your dishes. If you are cooking with whole berries, you'll likely find that adding just one or two per serving of food is quite sufficient to give the food a pleasant, piney, exotic flavor.

My favorite culinary use for juniper is in a fresh-tasting spice blend that I have perfected over time.

1 teaspoon sage

2 teaspoons thyme

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon parsley

3 juniper berries, dried and crushed

1/2 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon rosemary

These spices can be blended in a jar and stored indefinitely, for use in a variety of dishes. I especially cooking with it by sprinkling the mixture on tomato sauces, meats, and carrot-based dishes. It also complements the flavor of meals containing garlic.