Re: Juniper berries

 How do you eat or prepare the Juniper berries? They are all over here. Will ask the local homeopath who gives classes on collecting local herbs and such...

First thing is to always collect them when they are ripe. Unripe juniper berries have a higher essential oil content, which makes them really hard on the kidneys.

Also make sure you know what you are collecting. If you are collecting from the juniper trees in the mountains then you are OK. The savin junipers frequently used in landscaping are very poisonous.

I take the fresh berries and smash them flat with a hammer then swallow them like a pill. You can also grind the dry berries in to a powder for capsulation, or mixing with other herbs.