Juniper tincture with vodka: benefits and harms

Healing properties of the plant

Juniper belongs to the genus of evergreen coniferous plants, and there are many varieties of it. Due to its unpretentiousness and variety of shapes and shades, the shrub is popular with landscape designers, who use it to decorate both city park areas and private gardens. However, few juniper lovers are aware of its medicinal properties that can treat various ailments. Moreover, not only the blue-black cone-shaped fruits are used, but also other parts of the plant.

- Juniper berries. The most valuable thing about them is the essential oil, which is used to treat urolithiasis and digestive disorders, and the berries can even be chewed just like that.

- Root, bark and wood of juniper. These parts of the plant contain substances that help normalize intestinal function and reduce acidity in the stomach. It is very useful to use juniper bath brooms to improve the health of the body.

- Juniper needles. It is used to prepare various tinctures and decoctions, which are used to treat nervous disorders, diseases of the respiratory system and as lotions for skin ailments. Another option for using pine needles is soothing juniper baths with the addition of pine decoction.

What to cook from Juniper

You can make a lot of healthy drinks from juniper raw materials. These include:

1. teas with the addition of pine needles;
2. compote of oranges and berries;
3. alcohol tincture;
4. decoction

The choice of method for preparing the solution depends on the purpose of use, the type of juniper and the presence of possible contraindications. Teas and compotes are considered the safest; they contain a minimal concentration of active substances and are used as a preventive measure.

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Options for using juniper

Juniper has many medicinal properties. Among them, for example, are analgesic and antispasmodic, hemostatic, expectorant, and also a sedative effect. Due to such a wide range of applications, many dosage forms are obtained from juniper.

• Essential oil. It is used both in folk recipes in combination with other medicinal plants, and in cosmetology.
• Juniper rollers. Special pillows stuffed with shavings of this plant are very useful for headaches, insomnia and joint problems.
• Juniper tar. It is obtained by distilling dry wood. Tar can be added for inhalation, to make compresses and lotions, and is also used for anti-inflammatory purposes to treat wounds.
• Decoctions and infusions. Brewing pine needles or fruits is useful for diseases of the urinary system, as well as for preventive purposes for the general strengthening of the body.
• Juniper fruits. In dried form, these fruits are sold in pharmacies, packaged in bulk or in bags.
• Juniper tincture. This tincture can be prepared using alcohol, vodka or moonshine at home.

We will tell you in more detail about such a universal miracle remedy as juniper tincture, its use for various diseases, as well as recipes for its preparation.

Collecting and drying juniper

If you are making alcohol from juniper berries, you should be especially careful when choosing raw materials. It’s easier to buy the right amount of juniper at a pharmacy kiosk and not worry about the quality of the product; besides, the price per package is quite affordable.

Juniper is a common plant and is found in many regions. But not all types of this evergreen shrub are useful. Among them there are also varieties that are very dangerous to human health, including Siberian and Cossack juniper.

Therefore, you need to learn a few rules before going to collect juniper:

• The fruits can only be collected in the fall, when they turn blue or purple.
• First you need to break the berry and check the number of seeds. Fruits with three seeds are considered safe, while berries with only two seeds are considered poisonous.
• Pay attention to the “leaves” of the plant, they should look like needles. In the case of scaly cover, the plant is considered unsuitable for tinctures.
• Proper juniper smells like spruce; ignore those plants that have an unpleasant turpentine smell.
• You need to pick only ripe berries. Ripe fruits, when the bush is shaken, fall to the ground and are collected.
• The fruits are dried in a draft, under a canopy; this method allows you to preserve as much as possible all the beneficial substances and aromas.

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Benefits of tincture

We have already talked about the medicinal properties of juniper. The same effect for all the listed diseases remains the same if you prepare a tincture from this plant.

There are a lot of options for using the tincture, which makes it the most popular option for using juniper fruits and pine needles. Use it internally, alone or in combination with other herbs; externally, in the form of lotions or compresses; added to inhalations for respiratory diseases.

It should be noted that juniper is used to prepare alcoholic drinks, for example, juniper gin. At the same time, the drinks have a pronounced taste and amazing aroma.

Properties of juniper berries

Juniper berries are used to give the drink a unique taste . However, these tinctures also acquire a number of medicinal properties. Juniper berries contain a lot of vitamins and macroelements. Vodka prepared with juniper berries is an excellent preventative against inflammatory processes. But you still have to be careful when picking berries. Cossack juniper has poisonous berries that cannot be used in the preparation of tinctures.

You can distinguish it by its pungent smell and the presence of two seeds inside instead of three. Also, ordinary plants have needles, while Cossack plants have scales. To avoid mistakes, it is better to purchase dried berries at pharmacy kiosks. One more nuance: for tinctures you should choose blue fruits. It is from them that the most delicious tincture is obtained, without unnecessary aftertaste.

Who is contraindicated for juniper tincture?

Despite all the benefits of taking juniper tincture, if used incorrectly, it can cause harm to the body.

• Pregnant and nursing mothers should not take the tincture. It is better to make your choice in favor of decoctions and infusions.
• Juniper has a strong diuretic effect, so the tincture is contraindicated for kidney disease. Excessive use can also cause kidney irritation.
• When juniper tincture is taken orally, there is a strong rush of blood to the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it cannot be used for diseases of the stomach or intestines.
• Do not exceed the dosage - this can lead to poisoning of the body!

The benefits and harms of juniper tincture

Juniper berries have many beneficial properties, which have long been used in traditional medicine in the treatment of a variety of diseases.

Juniper tincture was already used to treat kidney diseases in the 16th century; in the 17th century, British soldiers warmed up with the drink; then sailors appreciated it along with rum. Juniper and its tincture have the following properties:

• tonic,
• anti-inflammatory,
• bactericidal,
• antirheumatic,
• wound healing.

Therefore, the tincture is used in the treatment of radiculitis, dermatitis, tuberculosis, asthma, bronchitis, neuralgia, kidney and urinary tract diseases. It is used for compresses, lotions, inhalations, and added when taking baths. Juniper infusion is used in cosmetology as a means to combat acne, acne, and hair loss.

But do not forget that juniper tincture has contraindications and in some cases can be harmful. This remedy is contraindicated for:

• gastritis,
• peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum,
• pregnancy and breastfeeding,
• internal bleeding,
• jades,
• acute glomerulonephritis.

Remember to use moderation when taking tincture, both as a medicine and as an alcoholic drink. An overdose can lead to poisoning.

Vodka tincture

The most popular recipes for juniper tincture are using vodka. Let's look at some of them.

Recipe 1. Juniper tincture with vodka and honey. Perhaps this recipe is the simplest. We wash 10 grams of juniper berries and add a liter of vodka. Add 50 grams of honey and leave for ten days. To strengthen the body, you should take this tincture twice a day, preferably before meals.

Recipe 2. Vodka tincture with spices. For this cooking method we will need: 50 grams of berries, two liters of vodka, 5 grams of ground black pepper, 25 grams of salt and 100 grams of dill seeds. Place all the ingredients in a bowl, add vodka and leave for two weeks, shaking occasionally. This tincture should be taken according to the scheme described above.

Recipe 3. Classic tincture. It is prepared exclusively using juniper fruits and vodka. 200 grams of berries are poured with a liter of vodka and infused in the dark and warm for 3 weeks. Then the tincture is thoroughly filtered through cheesecloth and stored in the refrigerator for two weeks. After this, it is completely ready for use: 50 ml twice a day.

The benefits or harms of juniper tincture with vodka for a particular disease can only be assessed by a doctor, so be sure to consult a specialist before taking it.

Recipes for juniper drinks

As an alcoholic base for infusing juniper berries, you can use diluted alcohol, good moonshine or regular vodka.

The finished juniper tincture has significant astringency, it is advisable to sweeten it, then it is easier to drink. To obtain a variety of flavors of juniper, honey, citrus fruits, spices, and herbs are added to it. And although the pronounced smell of pine is difficult to drown out, an interesting mix of taste sensations appears.

Experiment and keep in your reserves the tincture that turns out the most pleasant.

Juniper vodka

Juniper vodka is prepared at home using regular vodka, without additional distillation, as to obtain real gin. When purchasing alcohol in a store, make sure it is of high quality. Otherwise, the tincture will be far from expected, and your health may suffer.

Advice. Instead of vodka, you can take pure medical ethyl alcohol, diluting it with water to 450.

Ingredients

• Juniper berries – 2 heaped tablespoons.
• Vodka – 1 l.
• Granulated sugar or fructose.

Preparation

1. Crush the berries and place them in a glass jar.
2. Pour vodka, close the jar, shake it well.
3. Place in a dark place to infuse. Exposure time – 2 weeks.
4. Drain the tincture at the end of the specified period, strain well several times through gauze or cotton wool.
5. Sugar syrup must first be boiled and cooled to room temperature in a 1:1 ratio (sugar and water). Add syrup to the tincture to taste.

Advice. If you use fructose instead of sugar, keep in mind that it is much sweeter, you will need about half as much.

After sweetening, the juniper tincture must be kept for another week. Bottle the resulting drink and use it to your advantage. Store it in the refrigerator.

Moonshine with juniper

To prepare juniper tincture using homemade moonshine, it is recommended to use high-quality double-distilled grain moonshine.

Ingredients

• Juniper berries – 10-12 pieces.
• Moonshine – 500 ml.
• Zest of half a lemon.
• Sugar syrup or honey (to taste).

Cooking method

1. Pour crushed juniper berries with moonshine in a glass vessel of suitable volume.
2. Add the zest of half a lemon or lime.
3. Close the jar with a lid and shake the contents.
4. Place the future tincture in a dark place for 14 days, shaking the jar periodically.
5. Drain the contents from the sediment, lightly squeeze the berries.
6. Strain and add sweetness to your taste.
7. Leave for another 3-4 days.
8. The tincture is ready for storage and use.

Advice. If you decide to add honey instead of sugar, first dilute it in a small amount of tincture and taste. Not everyone likes the combination of juniper and honey; the taste is specific.

A simple recipe for juniper tincture

The simplest recipe for juniper tincture at home is to infuse vodka (alcohol, moonshine) with juniper berries without additives.

Take 50 g of crushed berries, 1 liter of high-quality alcohol, place it all in a glass vessel, leave for 14-20 days in a dark but warm place. After straining, the tincture is ready. Store it in the refrigerator. This drink is often used for medicinal purposes.

New Year's juniper tincture

Juniper smells like pine, and pine is a Christmas tree, which means you need to have this original drink on the New Year's table, adding festive shades to its taste. You will need:

Ingredients

• Juniper berries – 2 tbsp.
• Moonshine or vodka – 2 l
• Orange – 2 pcs.
• Mandarin – 2 pcs.
• Walnut kernels – 2-3 pcs.
• Sugar - to taste.

How to cook

1. Remove the zest from the citrus fruits to the white layer.
2. Squeeze the juice from oranges and tangerines.
3. Grind the juniper and nut kernels in a mortar.
4. Place all this in a suitable container and fill it with alcohol.
5. Place in a dark, warm place for 2-3 weeks.
6. Cook caramel sugar syrup. To do this, add a pinch of citric acid or a little lemon juice to the granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a caramel state, but do not burn it. Dilute with water 1:1, boil, stirring, until smooth. Refrigerate.
7. Add caramel to the pre-strained tincture to taste. Wait a few more days.
8. Pour the resulting drink into beautiful bottles and place in the refrigerator.

Gin at home

Gin can be made at home in several ways. One of them with subsequent distillation, for those who are fluent in the art of moonshine brewing with the selection of “heads” and “tails”.

This alcohol tastes very close to English gin. We will look at a recipe for obtaining it without distillation, which even novice winemakers can do.

Recipe Ingredients

• Berries - 10-15 pieces.
• Moonshine (diluted alcohol, vodka) – 1 liter.
• Cinnamon – 3 g.
• Anise grains.
• Coriander grains.
• Lemon zest.

How to cook

1. Pour juniper and spices into alcohol in a glass container.
2. Keep the tincture for 10-14 days in a dark place.
3. Drain the drink from the sediment and strain well.
4. Add syrup or leave it out.
5. Store homemade gin in the refrigerator.
6. You can infuse the spices separately, the berries separately, and then merge everything together. But this option is more suitable for subsequent distillation, which brings the tincture closer to real gin.

Advice. When undiluted, gin has a dry, tart taste. It has long been used to prepare cocktails with the addition of liqueur, tonic, and other softening ingredients.

Alcohol tincture

The alcoholic tincture of juniper tastes very much like juniper gin. To prepare it at home, follow the instructions:

• Take 610 ml of 90% alcohol. We divide it into two parts. Dilute the first one with 70 ml of water and add 25 g of juniper berries. And we also dilute the second one with water, but put cumin and coriander in it (2 teaspoons of both).
• Both parts should be infused separately for 5 days. And do not forget to shake the containers periodically to mix the contents.
• The next stage is filtration and distillation. Before distilling both parts separately, dilute each with water so that the volume increases by one and a half times.
• The resulting liquids must be mixed and further diluted with a liter of boiled water.
• Infuse the finished drink in the refrigerator for a week. After this, it is ready to eat.

Festive tincture “New Year’s”

The drink received its name for its wonderful aroma, which is associated with the New Year. It combines notes of tangerine and the smell of spruce, reminiscent of a festive atmosphere.

Compound:

• Alcohol 50% - 1 l;
• Juniper – 1 tbsp;
• Walnuts – 2 pcs.;
• Mandarin – 1 pc.;
• Orange – 1 pc.

For the syrup:

• Sugar – 50 gr;
• Water – 50 ml;
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp.

Recipe:

1. Remove the kernels from the nuts.
2. Remove the zest from citrus fruits. Squeeze out the juice.
3. Crush the juniper fruits with a rolling pin.
4. Place all ingredients except water and sugar in a jar.
5. Pour in alcohol and leave for 20 days.
6. Filter the tincture through a cotton-gauze filter.
7. Boil the syrup. To do this, mix lemon juice with sugar, put on fire, then add water and cook, stirring over low heat until smooth.
8. Cool the syrup and mix with the infusion. Stir thoroughly.
9. Before tasting, keep the juniper berry tincture for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

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Moonshine tincture

Juniper tincture on moonshine differs from vodka in its strength. However, it is used in the same cases as vodka tincture.

Recipe 1. For one part of berries, take two parts of moonshine, that is, for 1 kg of juniper fruits two liters of moonshine will be used. Before pouring the berries, they should be thoroughly crushed. After adding moonshine, leave for two weeks, then distill until a quarter of the liquid evaporates. It is better to pour the finished tincture into dark glass bottles.

Recipe 2. Ingredients for preparation: moonshine 10 liters, juniper fruits 200 grams, citrus zest (orange or lemon) 30 grams. Pour moonshine over the berries and zest, leave for a week, strain. Add five liters of purified water and distill to a strength of 40-45 degrees.

Aromatic juniper tincture with zest

This drink is prepared in two stages: the concentrate and the tincture itself.

Ingredients for concentrate

1. Juniper berries – 50 g
2. Alcohol/moonshine (50%) – 2 l
3. Zest of four oranges

Cooking method

1. Grind the juniper and add 1 liter of alcohol.
2. In a separate container, pour the remaining alcohol over the orange zest.
3. Leave both mixtures in a dark place for one week

Ingredients for tincture

Fructose can be replaced with granulated sugar (1.5 teaspoons)

1. Juniper concentrate – 100 ml
2. Citrus concentrate – 100 ml
3. Alcohol 45% – 1 l
4. Fructose – 1 tsp.

Cooking method

1. Mix all the ingredients in one container and take a sample.
2. If you find the drink not as rich as you would like, you can add another 100 ml of any of the concentrates.
3. After introducing an additional amount of concentrate, be sure to keep the tincture for another 10 days.
4. The finished drink should be filtered and bottled.

Juniper tincture in folk medicine

Tincture of juniper berries is very often used in the treatment of many diseases using traditional methods. For example, for radiculitis and rheumatism. In the first case, the tincture is added to a warm bath (3-4 tablespoons), or medicinal compresses are made. To get rid of rheumatic pain, a couple of spoons of the tincture are diluted with hot water, poured into a basin and kept in it.

For respiratory diseases, you can rinse with juniper tincture. And for bronchitis, hot milk with one teaspoon of tincture and honey will help.

For pyelonephritis, a mixture of knotweed herb decoction and juniper tincture will help. Add a teaspoon of tincture to one glass of broth, take 2-3 glasses a day.

If you are worried about a boil, you can speed up its maturation using a mixture of grated potatoes, chopped sorrel and tincture, which must be applied to the sore spot for 10-15 minutes.

Spiced tincture

Ingredients:

• Moonshine 40-45% - 1000 ml;
• Juniper berries – 15-20 pcs.;
• Lemon – 1 pc.;
• Cinnamon – 1⁄2 stick;
• Coriander – 1⁄2 tsp;
• Anise – 5 seeds.

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How to cook:

1. Cut the zest from a clean lemon with a sharp knife.
2. Suppress juniper.
3. Place all the spices, zest and berries in a jar.
4. Pour in alcohol. In addition to moonshine, vodka and alcohol are suitable.
5. Close the jar and leave for 7-10 days.
6. Filter the infusion using cotton pads.
7. Finally, juniper tincture with moonshine is bottled.

Use in cosmetology

Tincture of juniper berries is also popular in cosmetology.

• Healthy skin. To make your skin clean and get rid of pimples, blackheads and other irritations, a wonderful mask with viburnum juice, onion and tincture (all in equal proportions) will help you. The main thing is to do it regularly, 2-3 times a week.
• Thick hair. Hair loss is a very common problem. To strengthen hair follicles, use the following method: rub a mixture of tincture and garlic juice into the hair roots. You can add your balm to it. Keep the mask on for half an hour, then rinse your hair thoroughly with shampoo. This procedure must be performed once a week.

Remember that before using juniper tincture for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, you must make sure that you are not allergic to any of the components contained in it. To do this, before using the tincture on a large surface of the body, apply a couple of drops to the elbow. If no reaction appears within half an hour, you can safely use this wonderful remedy.

The simplest juniper tincture

It’s just as easy to prepare as the previous version, and the result is beyond praise. For the standard recipe for a drink made with juniper berries, we need:

• 20 g of fruits (≈1 heaped tablespoon);
• 0.5 l of diluted alcohol or vodka;
• sugar syrup - to taste.

Prepare in a few steps:

1. Place the berries in a mortar and crush them well, then put them in a liter jar.
2. Pour vodka over the prepared fruits, close the lid tightly and leave in a dark place for 14 days.
3. Pass the infused drink through a fine sieve or cheesecloth folded in 3 layers and cool.

Juniper tincture, prepared with moonshine instead of vodka, turns out to be very tart and slightly harsh in taste. In some cases, low-quality alcohol brings a similar result, so the finished drink can be safely diluted with sugar syrup and allowed to brew for another 2-3 days.

Recipe for juniper vodka with moonshine

This recipe for juniper vodka will be an invaluable find for those who appreciate and adore alcohol under the proud name “gin.” The described cooking technology will be more complicated than the previous one and will require a little more effort from you, but the result will be completely justified. As an alcoholic base, it is necessary to use high-quality moonshine, which has undergone double distillation and thorough purification with coal or manganese.

There are numerous disputes among tasters over the name of this product - some of them call it juniper vodka, others - juniper tincture, and still others - juniper. Regardless of the name of the alcohol, it is famous throughout the world for its original, refined taste and extraordinary, rare aroma.

Required Ingredients

Cooking technology

We sort the berries, wash them, then dry them on napkins or paper towels. Place the dried juniper in a deep bowl and crush it to a puree. We transfer the berry pulp into a bottle for infusion, add cinnamon, coriander and anise seeds there. Wash the lemon or lime thoroughly, and then carefully cut off the zest, being careful not to touch the white layer, which can spoil the strong drink with its bitterness. Grind the cut zest in a blender to a powder state, after which we put it in a bottle with the rest of the ingredients. Stir the mixture thoroughly and fill it with strong alcoholic liquid. We transfer the wort to a dark and warm corner and infuse it for seven days. After a week, the liquid will acquire a brownish color and a pronounced spicy aroma. We filter the alcohol through a homemade filter made of gauze cloth and a dense layer of cotton wool. We pour the finished and purified mash into the moonshine cube and carry out the first fractionless distillation

We stop the selection of raw alcohol at the moment when the strength in the stream drops below 10 revolutions. We measure the total strength of the alcoholic liquid and dilute it with water to 20-23 revolutions. We again pour the distillate into the still and begin the secondary distillation, this time with the obligatory separation of the head and tail fractions, while paying special attention to the middle, drinking fraction. The drinking part is poured into dark glass bottles and transferred to a cool place with a temperature no higher than 11°C. Allow the intoxicating drink to ripen for 3-4 days. The finished alcohol will be incredibly similar to real high-quality gin.