Juniper

Juniper is an evergreen shrub, also known as veres and juniper. In other languages, the name of this plant sounds like this:

• Deutsch - Machandel, Kadding, Knirk, kranawitt;
• English – juniper, common juniper;
• French - genevrier.

The juniper bush is usually a tall, thin column up to 12 meters high, with a pointed top. The leaves of this plant are very peculiar, resembling soft, dense needles, sometimes covered with small scales. Juniper fruits are blue-black berries that botanists actually classify as cones.

About 70 species of juniper are described in the scientific literature, but only one of them, the common juniper, is used as a spice and medicinal plant. Other species have found application in industry and landscape design. Here is some of them:

• Mexican - an ornamental plant with short needles and small fruits, is a source of essential cedar oil;
• Bermudian - differs in gray bark and light green needles, the fruits are covered with a wax coating;
• Azorean - an endangered species, grows mainly in the mountains;
• Californian - light needles, brown fruits with a blue bloom, grows in the mountains;
• cedar - grows up to 20 meters in height, aromatic oil is made from it;
• Chinese - can reach 25 meters in height, but in the homeland of plants it is used to form bonsai;
• coastal - creeping, creeping plant, grows mainly in the North,
• Daurian - grows in the mountains in the eastern regions, is planted to strengthen the slopes;
• thick-skinned - it has an unusual texture of the bark: it is covered with cracks that divide it into small squares;
• stone fruit - has a pyramidal shape, the fruits are round, used in the production of marmalade.

The common juniper prefers to settle in a temperate climate, so it can most often be found in Europe, the United States of America, in the northern regions of Africa and in some Asian countries. In our country, this plant is also very common. Common juniper grows in the western part of Russia and in Siberia. It usually settles on the slopes of mountains and hills, along the banks of water bodies and in sparse forests.

The most favorable time for harvesting juniper fruits is from early to mid-autumn. You can pick berries by hand, or you can use the following method: spread a large piece of cloth under a bush and, clasping the trunk with your hands, shake the tree strongly. If the fruits are ripe, most of them will fall on the canvas. Then the berries should be sorted out and cleaned of debris. Juniper fruits are kept in a dark, well-ventilated room, at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees. After complete drying, they are sorted out again, removing unripe and spoiled berries.

Juniper fruits are sold in herbal stores, pharmacies or large markets.When buying, pay attention to the condition of the berries: they should be dense and without signs of damage. If you rub the berry in your hands, the aroma will intensify, but after a while it will weaken again.

• bluish black;
• spicy, slightly sour aroma;
• spicy-sweet, with a slight bitter taste.

Nutritional value of 100 grams of fresh juniper berries:

You can find out more information about the beneficial properties of juniper from an excerpt from the program "1000 and one spice of Scheherazade"

• essential oil;
• coloring matter;
• resin;
• acetic acid;
• Apple acid;
• formic acid;
• iron;
• aluminum;
• manganese;
• copper.

• is a valuable source of vitamin C;
• has phytoncidal properties;
• has a diuretic effect;
• disinfects;
• improves digestion;
• produces a choleretic effect;
• is a good expectorant;
• has anti-edematous action;
• relieves pain;
• soothes itching and irritation.

Juniper is a harmless plant, however, in the presence of contraindications, overdose or individual intolerance, its use can have very unpleasant consequences for the body.

• pregnancy;
• inflammatory diseases of the kidneys;
• exacerbation of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• severe hypertension.

Juniper essential oil has a tart aroma with hints of resin and smoke. It is used in cosmetology and aromatherapy. Juniper oil improves the condition of the skin and hair and is considered a strong natural aphrodisiac.

• For internal use: Mix half a spoonful of honey with one drop of juniper oil and add a tablespoon of warm water. Drink the resulting mixture during the day in two divided doses.
• For outdoor use: juniper oil is recommended for spot treatment of acne, eczema, ulcers, scabies, toothaches, however, it should be borne in mind that it can be used only after consultation with your doctor. From our ancestors came the knowledge that juniper oil, added to the water for washing floors, disinfects the room.
• For making ointments: pork or badger fat is mixed with juniper oil, in proportions of 20 drops of oil per 10 g of fat.

Juice, squeezed from fresh juniper fruits, traditional medicine recommends using in diseases of the genitourinary system as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent.

• dried juniper fruits are used for smoking meat and game;
• juniper goes well with lamb and pork;
• juniper berries are added to jars with pickles and marinades;
• juniper fruits are added to fresh vegetable salads, they go especially well with cabbage and beets;
• juniper is used in the manufacture of confectionery;
• special sugar can be made from juniper berries;
• juniper beer and wine are prepared from the ripened fruits of the plant;
• juniper berries are used to flavor alcoholic beverages, the most popular of which are gin and vodka;
• Juniper fruits should be added to ready-made dishes just before serving, as they quickly lose their flavor.

Place baking paper on a baking sheet and brush it with a thin layer of olive oil.Cut into small pieces 50 grams of butter, put half on a baking sheet randomly. Top with 25 grams of crushed juniper berries, the zest of one lemon, a bunch of fresh rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Then prepare 1.2 kg of salmon fillet, drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, sprinkle juniper, rosemary and lemon zest on all sides. Put the fish on a baking sheet, put the remaining butter on top. Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

Cut the chicken carcass into pieces of the desired size. Prepare the marinade: mix 100 ml of dry white wine, 2 tbsp. mustard, chopped rosemary stalk, a few juniper berries, 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Leave the chicken to marinate overnight. Cook skewers on skewers or on a grill, pouring marinade over them.

Juniper-based medicines are used to treat and relieve symptoms of a wide range of conditions, including:

• decreased immunity;
• edema of various origins;
• malaria;
• polyarthritis;
• gout;
• rheumatism;
• discharge from the genital tract;
• cystitis;
• diseases of the genitourinary system;
• digestive disorders;
• respiratory diseases;
• anemia.

• For joint pain juniper baths will help. Brew 200 grams of crushed plant shoots with a liter of boiling water and let it brew for an hour. Then the sludge must be filtered and poured into a warm bath. The bath should be taken for approximately 25 minutes. Carry out the procedure until the symptoms disappear completely.
• With sexual impotence in men, you can prepare an infusion of juniper bark. For these purposes, it is best to use the bark of a young plant.3 tbsp put the bark in a thermos, pour a liter of warm water and leave overnight. In the morning, pour into a saucepan, close the lid and boil for 15 minutes. Then cool and strain. Take half a glass 3 times a day.
• With cystitis a good remedy is an infusion of juniper berries. 1 tbsp dried fruits pour a glass of boiling water, cover and leave for several hours. When the infusion has cooled, it should be filtered. Take 3 or 4 times a day for 1 tbsp.

Juniper oil is an indispensable tool for those who want to lose weight. If you take it orally with food, you can reduce the amount of food consumed. Massage with juniper oil warms and tightens the skin. Inhaling the aroma of juniper relieves stress - a constant companion of a strict diet and helps to stay in a good mood throughout the day.

• Craftsmen make a special paint from the bark and fruits of juniper, which has an antiseptic effect, which is used to paint wooden furniture and other items.
• The smell of juniper purifies and refreshes the air in the room. It is best to use the essential oil of the plant for these purposes.
• Juniper is still used to make wooden utensils and barrels. In such a container, products are stored for a long time and do not deteriorate.

• It is best to plant seedlings at the age of 3 to 4 years.
• Juniper is planted from early to mid-spring.
• The distance between seedlings is usually from 1.5 to 4 meters.
• The planting hole should be twice as deep as the height of the seedling.
• The root of the plant is sprinkled with earth so that a tubercle about 9 cm high rises above the ground.
• A newly planted tree is well watered and mulched with any breathable material, the layer should be about 11 cm.
• Once every few days, the crown of a young plant must be sprayed with water.
• Every spring, the soil should be fed with a universal fertilizer.
• Juniper tolerates dry weather well, but if the drought drags on, the plant needs to be watered periodically.
• In the first year of a plant's life in your area, you should cover it from winter frosts.

There are three ways to propagate juniper:

• Cuttings. For this method, it is best to use the shoots of the plant, which are half-dulled. Cut them off with a sharp knife, grabbing a piece of bark from where the shoot attaches to the trunk. Free the lower 3-4 cm of the shoot from branches and needles. Plant the prepared cuttings in a pot or box filled with substrate.
• layering. This method is suitable for creeping species. First, the soil around an adult plant should be prepared: dig, loosen, feed with peat and sand, and water. Then select several young shoots and on each of them clear a section about 15 cm long from the needles. Press the cleared area to the soil using special fasteners.
• Graft. Especially rare varieties of juniper are propagated by grafting them to more common ones, for example, to common juniper. A young shoot is cut from a tree and pressed tightly against a section of another tree with peeled bark. At the junction, the plants are wrapped with a special tape or twine.

• Juniper is a real long-liver among shrubs. The age of some trees growing on our planet is 600 years old.
• Juniper is a close relative of cypress.
• In the old days, linen and clothes of the sick were soaked in juniper broth to get rid of the infection.