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The juniper is a shrub that belongs to the conifers and can reach a height of 3 meters. It has needles and is very common and growing in the wild in Europe. The berries are picked in Autumn and need two or three years to ripen.
Their culinary and medical properties have been known since Ancient Times. Before then, our ancestors used to bury the dead with food and beverage, among which juniper berries. During the Roman Empire, dried berries replaced pepper, which was hard to be found and expensive.
In the Middle Ages, the juniper berries were used as antiseptics, against rheumatism, and urinary problems. In Scotland, injured soldiers were cured with Gin, the equivalent of jenever. In the 18th century, the berries were part of the medicine to be kept in store in the hospitals of the King of France. Until half the 19th century, juniper leaves were burnt on public squares and in hospitals to cope with epidemics.
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