Meet Eastern Red Cedar: Gathering Juniper Berries
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
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Meet Eastern Red Cedar: Gathering Juniper Berries
Right now, a resinous wild treat awaits us in the foraging realm. It's bluish, with a flavor that perks up drinks, sauces, stews, ferments, even desserts. The juniper berry harvest is on!
Eastern Red Cedar is a native, North America evergreen tree. It is scientifically named Juniperus virginiana of the Cypress family (Cupressaceae). It offers us many gifts, from its fragrant wood to its aromatic fruits and leaves.
Juniperus virginiana is dioecious, meaning the male and female flowers are borne on separate trees. The male flowers are tiny golden cones that form at the leaf tips of male trees.
Young female cones are tiny, round and greenish that form at leaf tips of female trees. Over the course of a year, they develop into bluish seed cones with white bloom that contain 1-4 seeds. These bluish seed cones, referred to as juniper berries, are what we use for food and medicine. It takes 10 years for a tree to start producing berries. Note, these fruits have a berry-like appearance, but are technically cones.
Harvest & Use
Juniper berries are powerful, full of phytochemicals, not to be consumed in large quantities, but used sparingly to flavor food and drink-perhaps 2-3 berries per serving. Think of how you would use rosemary, a small pinch not a handful. These potent berries are added to marinades, alcoholic beverages (gin), teas, kraut, cabbage dishes, spice rubs, herbal salts, stews, and sauces.
Flavor Profile: resinous, aromatic, citrus-grapefruit-y, bitter, mildly sweet with hints of cleansing agent.
Therapeutics Actions: stimulating, antimicrobial (cleansing), carminative (digestive support), diuretic (increases urination), plus many more!!! Use cautiously! Do not use when pregnant.
Additionally, I enjoy using Juniperus virginiana leaves (and berries too) for their invigorating, cleansing qualities in steams for skin health and upper respiratory health. To learn more about steaming with evergreens, and dive deeply into another glorious evergreen, check out White Pine Love-my free online mini-course. It is waiting for you-go harvest it at www.whitepinelove.com.
Identification
Its evergreen leaf is made of overlapping scales. Spin the green leaf and green branchlet between your fingers, and you should feel its four sides. Immature leaves are needle-like and prickly. It has exfoliating bark that peels off in thin vertical strips. Bark color: reddish brown, grey. Trunk can be fluted (with grooves).
Habitat & Range
Found throughout the USDA hardiness zones 2-9 in full sun to part shade; in dry to moist, but well drained soil. Look for it in meadows, fields, agricultural sites, hedgerows, woodland edges, and rocky slopes.
Season
Harvest juniper berries in late fall through early spring.
Wishing you resinous richness!
In gratitude,
Dina
#EasternRedCedar #JuniperusVirginiana #JuniperBerries #WildFood #HerbalMedicine #Foraging #ForagingandFeasting #DinaFalconi #OnlineForagingCourses #InTheWildKitchen #WildFoodHealthBooster #HerbalRemedies
I make my own German sauerkraut and have been buying juniper berries! I have these on our property and (duh!) can now collect and use these! Lots of females and berries - yay!
Thanks
Yes, sounds great; gathering your own for the German kraut (yum!).
ugh I love everything about juniper. my ancestors used it to air cleanse (moreso western Juniper species) and so many other medicinal uses. That sweet, peppery, grapefruit taste and smell that just can't fully be explained.
Hello Corrine, yes, agreed!
Dina, have you seen the junipers release pollen in early spring? I'm 63 and for the first time in my life I got to see it for myself about ten years ago, it was the coolest ever, it was like the whole tree did this almost all at once!!!
Thanks for sharing this cool moment! I don't recall seeing it as dramatically.
Dina, you’re fun to watch. Thank you for your knowledge.
Thank you! Please enjoy the rest of the videos on the channel.
If Dina was to offer me an extended warranty for my car, I would probably take it...
Seriously, I found one of these trees at work with cones all over the ground so I pulled a few off the tree and chewed them and was amazed at how bright and flavorful they were, so now I'm learning about them. Thanks, lass - nice video.
Thanks! Enjoy the cedars!
Thank you for this video. Thought I would share my favorite rub for chicken that includes juniper berries:
1 frying chicken, 4 pounds
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of juniper berries
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil, or ghee
2 small lemons, 1 sliced
Be sure to have the chicken on a clean cutting surface breast side down. Starting at the neck area using kitchen scissors or poultry shears, cut along each side of the backbone towards the legs to remove it, cutting through the rib bones as you go. Discard the backbone or freeze for soup stock.
Blot the chicken inside and out with paper towels if damp.
In the center area there will be a triangle of cartilage right where the breastbone starts. Using a sharp knife, cut down a quarter inch and spread the cut area open to reveal the breast bone. Flip the chicken over and press down. OR after removing the back bone, spread the chicken out and turn over. Flatten the breastbone using the heel of your hand so that the meat is butterflied and all one thickness.
Using a mini food processor or a mortar and pestle (better flavor!), pound the juniper berries, salt, oregano, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf to a paste. Blend in the olive oil or ghee.
Slide your fingers carefully between the skin over the breast and legs/thighs of the chicken, separating the skin from the meat. Be careful not to tear the skin.
Insert pinches of the spice mixture under the skin and over the flesh of the chicken. Use any remaining to season the cavity and rub over the skin. Add a few slices of lemon to the cavity as well.
Start up your oven, grill or smoker to heat 400°F.
Place the spatchcocked chicken rib bones down on and roasting sheet (oven) or the grill and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature registers 160°F.
Remove chicken from oven/grill/smoker and allow to rest 15 minutes, it will continue to cook and reach 165°F before cutting up into pieces or shredding.
Wonderful, thank you for sharing this recipe!
@@DinaFalconi My pleasure! 😄
Thank you! Really fascinating and delightful to get closer to and understand this wonderful tree. Your enthusiasm really makes it more interesting.
Welcome and glad to shine some light on this wonderful tree. Please enjoy the rest of the videos on the channel.
This is helpful. I'd like to see videos about hiw to ID and work with other medicinal conifers too. I'm not sure which conifers are safe to use.
Thanks for your comment. For a deep dive into the gifts of white pine, I invite you to check out my free White Pine Love course here: www.inthewild.kitchen/get-white-pine-love-now
Love your videos, thank you Dina!
Thank you, Dolores!
Thx beautiful Dina🙏🌲♥️& Eastern Red Cedar .. I’ve mature trees in my half acre sandy soil .. only recently enjoyed health benefits of nibbling leaves & berries.. feel purifying benefits flavor hours afterward
Thank you, love hearing this.
Thank you Dina! I’m going to head out now and find juniper berries!
Welcome, Holly! Enjoy the hunt and the forage!
This is a well made video thank you! 🌲💜✨
Thanks for appreciating it! Enjoy the channel!
Thank you for sharing all of this valuable information. We have Juniper trees in the forest behind our house here in Massachusetts. I have lots of them dried but learned some new fact here. Thank you.
Thanks for your comment!
Fantastic video editing and commentary. Thank you for taking the time to record and share your amazing knowledge with us. And in an engaging way.
Thank you, Nathan, for your comment. Glad you appreciate our work. Enjoy the channel.
You Are absolutly great
Thank you, Andja Skurteska, for your comment!
Soooooo glad I came across your video and channel!!! I just harvested some of the Berries (conifer), but wondered about the leaves, especially because I currently have a Common Cold and will be steaming the leaves ro help me breathe!!
Thanks and happy steaming! Please enjoy the rest of the videos on the channel.
Luv Your charizma Sis..
Mahalo for keeping it real
Thank you! I appreciate your feedback.
Ah! Another person who is familiar with Hawaiian! ;-)
fabulous video!
Thank you!
Okay that tiny basket is just too much,
Dina. I think it should have a tiny handle.
So inspired to get out and look for Juniper berries, thanks
Ha, thanks! Tiny handle for tiny basket sounds right! Enjoy your juniper forage.
Thank you ❤
Welcome!
Great idea to use this in steam . I frequently smudge with various pines on the stove. I steam the house with a kettle with citrus and some oils added, works great, why I didn't think of juniper for that? Building a new sourdough starter. I've read some use that white yeast on the berries to help get it going. I should try that, mine is bubbling but not as intensely as I'd like.
Thanks for your comment, Robert. Ha, yes, that white bloom on the juniper berries is a type of yeast.... cool idea to try in sourdough starter.
Thank you so much, for this informative and beautiful video. It answered my questions on ID-ing the tree; and especially on the benefits of The blue berries/cones that I was missing, from other videos I saw!
Thanks, Theresa, for your comment. Enjoy the channel!
Wonderful video thank you
thanks!
Thank you so much! This video is very clarifying and full of information and I’m really glad I found your channel 🧡🧡
Welcome and so glad you have found the channel. Enjoy the videos.
This is amazing! I grew up pulling these berries off of the cedars out in Texas not even knowing the benefits of these juniper berries! Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks for your comment. Good to know!
Wow, thanks! We've actually been working (slowly) on removing our Eastern Cedars (we have LOTS) because they host cedar apple rust and hurt our fruit trees. We certainly won't be able to remove ALL of the cedars, nor will we be really obsessive about doing so, but it is delightful to know that the trees we don't remove can also provide a helpful harvest.
Just stumbled upon your channel; I look forward to learning more from you!
Thanks for your comment! Enjoy the channel!
to be honest we have the same issue but we're just leaving them because reality is even 2 miles away you can get affected by it... thats beyond most property lines.. including our 18 acres. so were just saying screw it since it doesnt effect fruit actually and still can get healthy fruit
Welcome and thanks for checking out the rest of the videos. BTW, not sure why I am seeing you message from 2 years ago, now.
Thank you so much! I found one on y land can I plant new ones from theses seeds too?
Thanks, and if you are asking if you can plant the seeds to propagate, I think so.... but I've never personally cultivated them.
Thx 4 info I gave u sub🎉
Thank you, Usannee, enjoy the channel!
I'm new at this do I need to collect the fruit in the spring for growing from seeds to trees?
Thanks, and good question. I have no experience growing cedar trees from seed; still, thinking the seeds would be mature in fall for planting.
Once the berries are harvested, can I let them dry (cool, dark dry, airy conditions) b4 any preparations are made. or is it better to freeze. Waiting on an ID before I make anything😉
thanks for your comment. Once you've id them correctly, you can use them right away, or dry them or freeze (though I haven't done that) them for future use.
I've seen these tree's for decades, but just now realized how beneficial they are. Somewhat embarrassed to admit I didn't realize they were junipers, not cedars.
Your ability to communicate is exceptional, for some reason it resonates.
Just did a walkabout and noticed about 90% of my tree's are male 😕
Thanks, glad!
And interesting that you have so many males.....
When should you harvest berries for their seeds to plant?
Good question. And I have not harvested them for planting, but generally speaking when seeds are fully formed. So track them and watch for this.
*Like **#147* Thank you. And now I know more. Appreciated.
Wonderful
When is the best time to harvest the juniper berries in central texas
Here in NY we harvest late fall to early winter, when the berries have a full flavor. Not sure what that equivalent is in Texas. If you track the berries as they ripen, you'll tell my their flavor.
1:34 how do you make syrup out of it? Can you tap one of those trees like people tap maple trees? Either way great video.
I've never heard of any one tapping cedars tree, (like maple trees), to make syrup. Syrup has been made from the berries with sugar and water (similar to how one would make other aromatic syrups), but I've not made it.
@@DinaFalconi thats so interesting thanks for the info. I have one of these trees in my backyard and have only recently started to admire it haha
I have some ,but I just had a frost. Are they still ok to pick?
Thanks, yes, good to pick!
My shrubs I was calling juniper are creating berries that have 3 humps and stay green till they dry up over winter. Not sure they're edible.
Are white pine with small cones and ponderosa with the huge cones?
Hmmm.... not sure what you have there. White pine cones are large.
Can you harvest a bunch of these berries and freeze them to use/eat later?
Thanks, Kim, for your question, and thinking yes.
Can you mention the benefits of juniper plant
Thanks, please note that the info about red cedar's uses are in the text of the video, and I share them with you again here:
"Harvest & Use
Juniper berries are powerful, full of phytochemicals, not to be consumed in large quantities, but used sparingly to flavor food and drink-perhaps 2-3 berries per serving. Think of how you would use rosemary, a small pinch not a handful. These potent berries are added to marinades, alcoholic beverages (gin), teas, kraut, cabbage dishes, spice rubs, herbal salts, stews, and sauces.
Flavor Profile: resinous, aromatic, citrus-grapefruit-y, bitter, mildly sweet with hints of cleansing agent.
Therapeutics Actions: stimulating, antimicrobial (cleansing), carminative (digestive support), diuretic (increases urination), plus many more!!! Use cautiously! Do not use when pregnant.
Additionally, I enjoy using Juniperus virginiana leaves (and berries too) for their invigorating, cleansing qualities in steams for skin health and upper respiratory health. To learn more about steaming with evergreens, and dive deeply into another glorious evergreen, check out White Pine Love-my free online mini-course. It is waiting for you-go harvest it at www.whitepinelove.com."
I like this video, I'd agree that it is a nice flavor and that it like many plants should be taken in moderation, if it is anti bacterial, that may help someone with bacterial imbalance i.e. pre diabetes or diabetes but if that person has a favorable bacterial profile you would not want to kill off your beneficial bacteria. The foods that seem to help the profile, to me, seems to be lower carbohydrate and nutrient dense also truly bioavailable.
Hello Alan, thank you for your comment.
I never realize these were edible, I know some berries but never knew this
Thanks, yes, edible, but not like fruit berries (blackberry, blueberry, etc), more like rosemary and other culinary herbs, to be used in small pinches.
@@DinaFalconi ya I watch the video ,I just thought they seed pods
@@outdoorvideoswithbrad
Essentially they evolved for them to be disguised as berries to get the birds and other beings to distribute them.
I love gin. Bombay Sapphire is my favorite.
Ha, good to know!
So sorry to be a spoil sport, but like so many people these days I have shifted to low alcohol and zero zero. The good side is that you can enjoy a whole lot more of what you love!
I have a theory that a lot of the time we drink alcohol and enjoy it not for the alcoholic effect but for the properties that the alcohol is preserving. So, for example, beer is a vitamin beer liquid drink, wine is a vitamin c liquid drink, and so on.
Juniper is really refreshing. So why not try boiling juniper berries with a little sugar - gin has lots of sugar in it - and let it cool. Then add it to Indian tonic and have a zero zero gin and tonic that is cheap and ultra refreshing.
Or, go for something different in your next mocktail using your homemade juniper syrup. Enjoy! 💗
😄
@@johnnyhorton5984agree with you! Esp the beer. People need Vitamin B di badly. There are 20 Vitamin Bs.
Is there any similarity between Red cedar and Cypress?
thanks, but not sure if you mean identification or uses? And which cypress (give scientific name, please)?
How are these different from the Juniper berry bushes?
Thanks for your comment. Please say which juniper bushes. Best to use scientific names so we can confirm ID and edibility.
@@DinaFalconi I tried to ID it with my phone app today, I live by the beach in NY and these are growing in sandy soil, they look just like Juniperus virginiana, but in a shrub (the tallest being about 6 ft tall) and the berries are a deep purple rather than the blue in you video, but the leaves are the same. My app identified it first as Juniperus virginiana, then when I took another angle, I got Juniperus pinchotii, and then Juniperus ashei. So who knows :)
Thanks, keep studying / observing those "Junipers" by your home. Curious to know who they are.
Pronounced 'Die-eesh-us'
From 'Di' (meaning 'two'), Oikos (meaning 'house')
Good video. Better sound and video quality than alot.
Thanks!
I just spotted this exact type of conifer bush along a building, but they are only 3 or 4 feet tall.... could they be the same plant?
Not sure....?
Is that the only evergreen that gives the juniper berries or are they're other types?
Thank you!
Yes, there are other types of Juniperus species that give juniper berries
Surprised to see these would grow in Anchorage. Thinking of planting a few.
Keep us posted on how it does there in Anchorage.
@@DinaFalconi I've seen Juniper berries growing in parking lots. Probably a different type though. These are more a shrub.
I wonder which species are growing in the parking lot. Perhaps they are also edible, but would need to know the scientific name to figure it out.
@@DinaFalconi juniperus horizontalis
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks!
❤️
Thanks!
Are all juniper berries edible and do they all have health benefits? I have more low growing junipers in my yard and this year, they produced multitudes of blue berries
Thanks for your ques. Not all junipers are edible. Please key out your species to scientific name and then go from there.
🙏🏻
Why won’t anyone tell me if you eat the seeds, or not???!!!!
I do!
I hope you sre okay! ??
Thanks!
Now I know that it has male and female plant! That plant is not bearing fruits in tropical weather.
Thanks for your comment.
Made a fermented beverage from the berries, was shitting my guts out, don't recommend consuming them
Thanks for sharing your experience! Yes, only to be consumed in very small amounts. How many berries do you think you consumed in your fermented beverage? Was your beverage alcoholic? Juniper berries are powerful, full of phytochemicals, not to be consumed in large quantities, but used sparingly to flavor food and drink-perhaps 2-3 berries per serving. Think of how you would use rosemary, a small pinch not a handful. These potent berries are added to marinades, alcoholic beverages (gin), teas, kraut, cabbage dishes, spice rubs, herbal salts, stews, and sauces.
Don't eat them they are disgusting
Thanks, yes, can be that way for some folks.