The bluish-gray berry – fresh or dried – of the juniper evergreen tree (Juniperis communis) may be used for making a tea that is said to be good for kidney and bladder trouble. Used as a spray, juniper tea is said to fumigate sick rooms; and as a gargle, to prevent catching a disease to which you have been exposed. To prepare the tea steep 1 teaspoon berries in 1 cup boiling water for 2-4 minutes. Strain and serve.
The juniper berry is also a gourmet cooking item. Its flavor is strong and pungent, and a few berries will carry you a long way. Juniper berries complement most meat dishes and are used in stuffings for everything from Cornish game hen to goose. A half-dozen berries dropped into your rice pot will make a flavorful accompaniment to a dinner of game. They are also used in meat marinades – if soaked too long, they begin to have a strong resemblance to their most famous offspring, gin.
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