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Fresh Juniper Berries in the UK

edited January 2014 in SD Europe

I'm looking for a source for fresh juniper berries. Tried dried, but would like to see the difference in fresh. I'm based in UK. Anyone got ideas on this?

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  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krb2OdQksMc

    Can't you guys just find your way through the fog and pick them in the countryside?

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • lol. but seriously. good question.

  • It's not always foggy! In the UK Juniper is seen as an endangered plant (!) also we need them in relatively large quantities.

  • I guess we outsiders thought they grew wild there.

  • edited January 2014

    Hi @Lloyd, just joined this group in anticipation of our consignment early Feb.

  • Juniper does grow wild here, but it seems that the berries are well loved by the deer and other wild life that we have roaming the country, so there is concern that, if we don't look after the bushes and trees that we have, they might over the next 2 or 3 decades become a rarity. I've planted several shrubs in my garden but at my advanced age they might not bear berries in time!!!

  • I guess you could import them easily and cheaply from anywhere within the EU? Or is that still a hassle?

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • Head down to new spitafields markets. Take cash and flash it to one if the old geezers down there for bulk juniper berries. There ain't nothing you can't buy from there.

  • I'm not often near Spitalfields but I've go family who are so I'll see if I can get them to drop by. Thanks CF.

  • Thanks Punkin. I heard Croatia is good for berries. I'll look into that one.

  • Welcome @Grip!
    Member @Al_Q should have a line on all the gin botanicals in your corner of the globe, hoping he chimes in here.

  • edited January 2014

    @punkin, I'd long forgotten Python's Life of Brian juniper bit..brilliant! Thanks for the memory.

  • I always thought the whole country was overrun with Juniper.....like weeds or something.

    Here in Florida orange trees are in every back yard. The authorities would like to place them on the pest list as our road ways are littered with cuttings as folks try to chain saw their way through the ever invasive citrus forrest that will engulf their homes.

    Ok that part is a lie.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • @smaug - every 2 years I trim a pile off my grapefruit and lemon trees that is as big as the tree itself... I am selling that house, and will not miss the bloody adventure... and not bloody as in english meaning horrible, but bloody as in blood... but picking Juniper is equally as bloody on the fingertips... I have a couple bags of handpicked ones from the Aspen CO area from my stepmom... and a bag of Oregon grape root that is supposed to be good..

  • Gotta open those canopies up to let the sunshine shed some goodness onto the fruit that would ordinarily not be exposed to that morning sun shine. Helps the fruit on the interior and lower portion ripen up as nicely as the ones at the top.........or just gas em.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

  • edited January 2014

    Over the weekend I eventually found some junipers growing with berries on. The only trouble is they were fenced off with high chainlink to stop the deer from destroying them.They really are quite scarce in UK and the berries on the trees I found were very small indeed, so I'm still looking for a source of fresh berries. I've heard that there is also a fungal problem running wild with UK junipers which has the forestry commission worried that in 40 years time there will be no UK junipers, so I guess picking any berries I find would be frowned upon anyway.

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