Are juniper berries halucinogenic?

Question

If you're gonna be one of those faags who tells me i shouldnt be eating berries, get a freekin life and stay out of my moral business. biiiiitcch

Answer 1

whoa!  never heard of juniper berries!  I have a 3yr old son and have been feeding him ALOT of blueberries.  In the morning, afternoon, and evening.  I know they are good anti-oxidants and I am willing to try other berries as well.

USES

The flavour profile of young, green berries is dominated by pinene; as they mature this piney, resinous backdrop is joined by what McGee describes as "green-fresh" and citrus notes.[7] The outer scales of the berries are relatively flavourless, so the berries are almost always at least lightly crushed before being used as a spice. They are used both fresh and dried, but their flavour and odour is at their strongest immediately after harvest and decline during drying and storage.



Mature purple and younger green juniper berries can be seen growing alongside one another on the same plant.Juniper berries are used in northern European and particularly Scandinavian cuisine to "impart a sharp, clear flavour"[1] to meat dishes, especially wild birds (including thrush, blackbird, and woodcock) and game meats (including boar and venison).[8] They also season pork, cabbage, and sauerkraut dishes. Traditional recipes for choucroute garnie, an Alsatian dish of sauerkraut and meats, universally include juniper berries.[9] Besides Norwegian and Swedish dishes, juniper berries are also sometimes used in German, Austrian, Czech and Hungarian cuisine, often with roasts.

Gin was developed in the 17th century in the Netherlands. It was first intended as a medication; juniper berries are a diuretic and were also thought to be an appetite stimulant and a remedy for rheumatism and arthritis. The name gin itself is derived from either the French genièvre or the Dutch jenever, which both mean "juniper".[1] Other juniper-flavoured beverages include the Finnish rye-and-juniper beer known as sahti, which is flavoured with both juniper berries and branches.[10]

A few North American juniper species produce a seed cone with a sweeter, less resinous flavour than those typically used as a spice. For example, one field guide describes the flesh of the berries of Juniperus californica as "dry, mealy, and fibrous but sweet and without resin cells".[11] Such species have been used not just as a seasoning but as a nutritive food by some Native Americans.[12] In addition to medical and culinary purposes, Native Americans have also used the seeds inside juniper berries as beads for jewellery and decoration.[12]

An essential oil extracted from juniper berries is used in aromatherapy and perfumery.[4] The essential oil can be distilled out of berries which have already been used to flavour gin.[1]

Answer 2

No, they are not hallucinogenic.

Juniper berries are frequently used in gin, giving it its distinguishing flavour.

You can eat them, therefore. :) I'm just not entirely sure that they'll taste good out of an alcoholic beverage.