Culinary Herbs of Ontario

[Farmer Dave]

Juniper (there are several types) grow in most of the Northern Hemisphere..

Probably don't have to look much further than a sub-division as the older "foundation plantings" bear berries that are suitable...like spruce tips...check out the white spruce trees in April......in those same suburban lots...

[itch22]

You mean spruce tips are a suitable substitute for juniper, or they grow in the same area?

[Ben Hong]

None of the coniferous trees in Canada have anything poisonous about them. Juniper berries picked off your or your neighbour's ground cover juniper foundation plants would be as good as any you have to pay for. As someone just said, pick the real ripe ones. Some of my friends used to make spruce beer and they also produced a passable gin in their "back yard" using the same juniper berries to get that "gin" taste.

[Farmer Dave]

Sorry itch......a bit vague on that....juniper berries are the real deal....don't substitute on those....but they are easy to find...I went out and looked today and there are some here...that's how easy....same bush Paul Boehmer used on a venison dish in fact.......spruce tips are another easy to find spring time ingredient (another Boehmer in fact....but he was using Stadtlander's syrop recipe )

Amazing what is out there.....and what can be done with them once picked..

[itch22]

I found a cornucopia of juniper bushes. I picked only fully ripe berries, however they lacked both aroma and flavour.

[Farmer Dave]

That is odd......you crush a few and it should fill the place with aroma...

Did they have a bit of "give" to them...meaning not hard like a peppercorn...

PM me ....we might have to send up a care package