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Are Ashe juniper blue berries edible?
Juniper berries are not eaten in handfuls, straight off the bush like the sweet, juicy blueberries they resemble. Juniper berries have a strong, bitter, slightly peppery flavor and gritty texture. Instead, just a small quantity of mature juniper berries are added to recipes as a flavoring or spice.
Are all varieties of juniper berries edible?
Of the roughly 40 species of juniper, a small number are poisonous and a majority have bitter fruits. Only a few yield edible berries (actually modified cones) and only one is routinely used for flavoring. The flavoring juniper, best known for its contribution to gin, is common juniper, Juniperus communis.
Is Ashe juniper poisonous to dogs?
ANSWER: The University of California – Davis list Juniperus (Junipers) in their Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants list as having a minor toxicity (class 2) for pets and children. If ingested, call the Poison Control Center or your doctor. The ASPA list of Toxic and Non-toxic plants to Dogs does not list any Juniperus.
How long do Ashe junipers live?
The Ashe Juniper growing in the Hill Country has many uses. Its wood is naturally rot resistant and fence posts of this tree have been known to last 50 years.
Which junipers are edible?
The common juniper (Juniperus communis) is the most widely known edible Juniper species. Its berries are used as a spice for flavoring meat and fish dishes, as well as sauerkraut, notes North Carolina State Cooperative Extension. However, the most prominent use for common juniper berries is in the flavoring of gin.
What can I do with juniper berry?
The spicy, aromatic, dark berries of the juniper tree can be used fresh or dried, crushed or whole, to flavour casseroles, marinades and stuffings and complement pork, rabbit, venison, beef and duck. They can also be used in sweet dishes such as fruitcake. Juniper berries also provide the main flavouring for gin.
Is it OK to eat a juniper berry?
Can You Eat Juniper Berries? Yes, juniper berries are edible. In fact, you may have tasted them before without even knowing it if you drink alcoholic beverages.
What kind of animals eat Ashe juniper berries?
Nineteen species of birds including robins, cedar waxwings, cardinals, and mockingbirds eat the fruit. Not only birds, but many mammals also benefit from the fruit. The scat of raccoons, ring tail cats, gray fox, coyote, and even white-tailed deer has shown that the berries provide food for them.
What kind of Berry is a juniper berry?
However, these “berries” are not really berries at all; they’re actually the fleshy cones of female junipers, which have such small, compacted scales that they have an appearance similar to berries. During the Middle Ages, juniper berries were used to ward off disease and infection.
How many fruit does an Ashe juniper tree have?
Biology and ecology of Ashe juniper Fruit Numbers Per Tree Fruit Numbers Per Tree Fruit Numbers Per Tree Tree CanopyArea (m 2) 1989-90 (wet) 1990-91 (dry) 1991-92 (wet) 1 16 57,500 1,500 no data 2 28 91,000 0 105,000 3 33 196,000 100 226,900