Proper Juniper Berries for Gin

[Wino2Distill]

So we picked a bunch of juniper berries from some juniper bushes that my mother planted years ago (see pic). We are not sure which kind of juniper these are, but they are not the common Juniperus Communis. I was about to run them, when a friend told me that some juniper bushes yield toxic berries and that only the berries from Juniperus Communis should be used. I have found some information to back this up on Google, but I remain skeptical. Has anyone read in a botanical book or somewhere formal about the toxicity of juniper berries?

I am also wondering if the berries sold on Amazon or in grocery stores are the proper "ripeness" for making gin as I've read that the fully ripe purple berries which are harvested in autumn are for cooking and that gin-making berries are harvested in the summer and are therefore less ripe.

What do you think?

[rubelstrudel]

Juniper berries or cones as they really are, takes two years to mature. My local herb guru says to pick them mid-late summer, and only pick the blue ones.

I have no idea about species. There's junipers growing wild everywhere around here.

Sent fra min SM-G930F via Tapatalk

[Antler24]

I've done a little reading on juniper berries lately. Juniper is communis is the only species that's used in gin production. Others may work if you can verify they aren't of the toxic species, but from my limited reading is that species other than communis have far less flavour.

[Wino2Distill]

Thanks guys

[Kareltje]

I don't see your picture. But can you determine which juniper your mother planted?

[Wino2Distill]

I think it's a chinensis crossed with a low lying species