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Family: Cupressaceae
Species: Juniperus communis L.
Generality
Evergreen shrub native to the mountain areas of Europe, Asia and North America.
Juniper Berries (photo www.nps.gov)
Botanical characters
Shrub up to 3 meters high, has tortuous and branched stems, with reddish brown bark. The leaves are needle-like, pungent, verticillate in three.
It is a dioecious species, with male plants with inconspicuous, yellowish flowers, which appear in May-June; and female plants with three-scale flowers that turn into "berries" (botanically they are called "galbuli") spherical, fleshy, first green and blue-violet when ripe, which takes place in 2-3 years, and covered with a matte patina, on which the three scales at the apex are visible.
Collection and conservation
Collect the fruits when ripe. Dry in a shady and ventilated place.
Use in the kitchen and therapeutic properties
In the kitchen it goes well with game, roast pork, roasts, boiled meats, skewers.
Therapeutic properties: diuretic, antiseptic, balsamic, stimulant, expectorant.
