Fermented Juniper Berry Juice (aka smreka), is a sour and refreshing, lemonade-like beverage, perfect for quenching the thirst on a warm evening.
Almost everyone who comes to Sarajevo in late spring is surprised by the variety of unusual yet tasty homemade juices available at local cafes. Come May, there's the ubiquitous zova made out of the elder tree flowers (also known as zova) which blossom around that time. There is also the fantastic rose juice (sok od ruže or djul šerbe), made from local wild rose petals.
And then there is smreka - the fermented juniper berry juice.
Have you tried it? If not, you should! Because smreka is simply perfect.
Although the mention of fermented plants evokes the taste of sauerkraut, think of juniper berry juice as a "more sour than usual" lemonade that can be consumed as is, or made sweeter with honey or sugar. It's very refreshing, and perfect to go along with local desserts such as the walnut stuffed apples (tufahije). I even take it with a heartier main course, such as moussaka.
People take to smreka quickly, and some make their own after returning home. I've had a few requests for a while, and below is the recipe I've used with great success.
(As with anything fermented, there is no rule that's cut in stone. You may like to ferment berries without lemon. You may like to leave the juice to ferment longer than 10-15 days. Or you may think 7 days is enough. Fermenting recipes are more of a framework within which you'll figure out your own preferences. Please note that some readers found the lemon goes bad if the berries are kept in the sunny place while they ferment. This hasn't happened to me, but then again, my window sill, where I usually keep them, is not sunny all day long. It may be better to keep them in shade while they ferment. Use your best judgement.)
In addition to this juice, juniper berry is known for being an active ingredient in several other Balkan delicacies, including the homemade juniper berry brandy (rakija klekovača), as well as gin.
The plant itself is said to have many different health benefits, and is widely used in the area. The juice is an excellent diuretic, and is also recommended as an aid against coughing, asthma, stomachaches and uti's. It's said to be especially effective for stomach problems of all sorts, and is often recommended by the doctors here to patients suffering with kidney stones. When made into oil, juniper berries are excellent to use in massaging areas affected by the rheumatoid arthritis.
P.S. We’ve done additional interesting beverages before. Do you remember sour cherry liqueur? Or the elderflower cordial? If you don’t feel like fermenting drinks, how about some white wine lemonade?
Recipe by Samir Hajdarević.
Fermented Juniper Berry Juice (Smreka, Kleka)
Equipment
- 1 glass jar with lid volume of 1-gallon volume (or a 3 liter jar if using metric volumes)
Ingredients
- 2-3 lemons OR juice of 2-3 lemons, OR 3 tsps sour salt (citric acid or lemon salt)
- 12-14 ounces juniper berries just harvested or dry berries both work
- filtered or boiled water enough to fill the jar with berries
- (Optional) a handful or two of blackthorn berries (sloe) used to give a reddish hue
Instructions
- In a clean glass jar add juniper berries and sliced lemons (or lemon salt or juice). If adding sloe add it now also. Fill the jar to the top with filtered or boiled water. Stir very lightly, and tightly close the lid.
- Place the jar in your fermentation spot (look below). Leave for 10-15 days. Every couple of days open the jar and stir the contents. You can taste it at this point too, and see if it's to your liking.
- During the fermentation process, some juniper berries will sink to the bottom, or even travel up and down in the jar. As the days go by the liquid will eventually take on a minty-yellow hue. (If you put in blackthorn berries/ sloe, this hue will be reddish.) Try the juice and if it's tangy and on the sour side, it is done.
- Strain the juice into a glass bottle(s). (Keep the berries, and set them aside.) Cork or cap the bottles and transfer them to the fridge. Keep the juice in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- When getting ready to consume the juice, taste to decide if the sourness level is to your liking. The drink is healthiest as is, but if you find it too strong, you can dilute with water. Alternatively use mineral water, but this will add a little more carbonation to the juice. If you prefer it sweeter, you can add a teaspoon of sugar, or honey.
Making a second or third batch with the same juniper berries
- Take the berries you set aside after straining the juice. (Discard any remaining lemon pieces.) Wash the berries and clean the jar. Return the berries to the jar, and add new lemon pieces (or lemon salt or juice), and filtered water. Stir and screw the lid on again, and repeat the fermentation process.
- The second and third time around the berries will fall to the bottom more quickly. When most of them stay on the bottom, and the juice is no longer flavorful, berries are ready to be discarded. This is usually after the second time using the same batch, although sometimes you can get away with using the same batch of berries three times.
Cooking with Zoki says
I would love to try this juice...You have beautiful blog.
Aida says
Thank you Zoki, and thanks for stopping by. It's very easy to make, and I'm sure you'd like it.
Janine says
Thank you for this recipe. I am impressed with the taste of the juice and will be making it often.
Aida says
Janine,
Glad it turned out well. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
Emma Cooper says
This looks fab - I've never seen anything about fermenting juniper berries before, so thanks for sharing!
Aida says
Hey Emma, great profile photo! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you make this juice. It tastes amazing, and it's healthy too.
Doian says
Hi there!
I would like to share with you the way we prepare this drink in Albania. Here we call it Hardiç (pronounced harditch, and don't ask me about the name's etymology cause I don't know).
It is similar to your way but it takes a little more space and time. On the other hand you will have enough for the whole winter or so.
In a 40 liter plastic container (or even metallic but produced for food containing purposes) ad 2kg of fresh juniper berries. Try to not include green ones as they may negatively influence the taste.
Fill the container with potable water and close the lid without force-closing it since the fermentation will increase the volume of the content and may explode the container.
Leave it in a fresh place for 40 days. Afterwards you can try the taste, and if it seems ok start using it. You need to filter the juice with a thin sieve or even with a piece of textile.
If the container comes with a tap be sure to put a filter from the inside already at the beginning.
Every time you take juice from the container you can add the same amount of potable water to it. This should go on for as long as the taste remains the same. When you feel it doesn't taste any more like before it means the juniper berries are ready to be discarded.
Thanks and enjoy.
Aida says
Doian, thank you for leaving such a thoughtful, long comment. I love hearing how similar stuff is prepared across different places. You know I never thought about making a batch that big, but it makes sense. If we ferment vegetables in large buckets, I guess we could do it with juniper berry juice too. We ferment for a much shorter period of time though. Not sure if the size of your bucket has to do with longer fermenting period. Good point about not using the green berries! Cheers!
Doian says
Sorry, in my previous comment there's a mistake in the recipe: not 2kg of juniper but 12kg of juniper berries.
Thanks
Ters says
I have been preparing a modified version of this drink for the last 5 years. As it takes more than a month to complete the fermentation process, I find it impractical to make small quantities such as 1L. I make 10L batches and the only reason why I don't go with larger qty's is price of berries. I live in Canada and usually bring berries from Bosnia, few kg each year, which is insufficient to go with the concept proposed by the poster from Albania - 12kg berries in a large 40L barrel (thank you for posting it). While price of berries in Canada is sort of high, around $30/kg, for rather pretty mediocre quality (and they are actually imported from Balkans). Otherwise, I would love to be able to do it in a 50L barrel and just keep adding water as the good stuff is being consumed rather than keep constantly making 10L jugs for several thirsty mouths :).
From a Bosnian village where I came from, the original recipe included 5L jars with approx 300gr of juniper berries + some rose hip fruit (sipurak) and few slices of some sour apple, properly sealed and to be left in a warm place, such as a sunny window for 3-4 weeks. I modified this process by adding some other dry fruits as well and also having a 2 step fermentation, 3 weeks with berries and fruits at a warmer place (23C) in and 3 weeks without at a bit lower temperature (20C). Due to sugar in small amount of other dry fruits I add, my ready to drink juice has approx 0.5% of alcohol, which only improves quality of the product :).
Aida says
Hi Tersivoje,
Thanks for sharing your fantastic recipe. Smreka - like ajvar and pindjur - is a delicacy everyone adds a personal touch to. I like your idea of adding other fruit - I'll experiment with it.
You're correct, 1l is a small quantity, but perfect as a starting out volume when fermenting the first few times. (The juice is usually diluted a bit, so ultimately this is closer to two liters of juice for consumption.) Most of my readership isn't from the Balkans, and probably wouldn't commit to fermenting 10 or 12 liters of the juice they've never tried. Also, as you mentioned, the berries are rather expensive in North America so it's economical for them to start small. However if/ when they do, now they can.:)
Ters says
Other fruits I use are wild dry cherries (Bosnia), wild dry blueberries (Bosnia), wild dry grape (Canada) all of which add some taste and also a lot of red color, then tamarind (for sour taste), or dates, raisins, dry apricots (Turkey) all of which add mostly sugar. Sometimes lime or lemon. Occasionally wild sour apples when I find some (which I also use to make another specialty from my village - they make apple vinegar only from those small, zero sugar, very sour wild apples - zukve).
And if you want to carbonize the drink, obviously mixing it with sparkling water works, but what also works is to pack the juice in 1L glass or plastic bottles, add a bit of honey (~15gr), use a good cap or plug and leave it for couple weeks. When you open, it will foam like beer :). Obviously, you can use sugar instead, but honey adds a bit of flavor. Fermented honey alone is also one of the old recipes, mead (medovina).
I'm also thinking of getting 1 gallon CO2 pressurized dispenser for tursija. I presently keep it in 1 gallon glass jugs, but a dispenser would be more convenient for "handling".
Aida says
You're really passionate about smreka, I love this! Thank you for taking the time to share it with us. That carbonating idea is great - healthier than your regular soda, and a brand new taste (for most). I think a lot of people will get a lot of good ideas out of your comments!
carla says
I feel so lucky to have access to a LOT of juniper berries locally, that's how I came across the recipe (looking for uses). I have made my own Juniper syrup for pancakes as well as using in my soda machine, as well a Starbucks copycat juniper sage latte. Am eager to try this out, thanks for sharing!
Aida says
Nice! Juniper syrup sounds delicious. Let us know if you make smreka and if you like it.
Julia says
Hi Balkan lunch box!
Wondering if you could help me with the pronunciation of “smreka”, is the S silent?
Very excited to try this recipe, thank you!
Aida says
Hi Julia,
Smreka is pronounced just like it sounds, with a hard "r", so "s-mr-eh-kah". The s isn't silent. Good luck! <3
Ters says
I left couple comments above about 3 years ago. Since then, I improved my process by simply bottling fermented smreka juice to this kind of bottle:
https://www.grolsch.com/sites/default/files/styles/portrait_360x432_/public/2019-01/1200x1200_PilsnerINT_16_Saskia_BLANK.jpg?itok=dSvzX2Qb
To fit 10L, I had to buy 20 of those and "empty" the original content first :). You can buy bottles with similar plug but you might not be able to find as small, those are right size. Most plastic 0.5L water bottles have a good stopped so those will work as well.
Carbonization is easy, just add about 5gr of honey before filling, wait at least 15 days for the honey to ferment, which will create enough CO2 to somewhat pressurize the bottle (assuming that the plug still hold well). If you put a bit too much honey (or sugar) inside, there is risk that a “geyser” will form when you open the bottle. This can be solved by opening bottles which were chilled in the fridge first.
Aida says
Thanks for the comment, it is very thorough and I'm sure a lot of readers will appreciate it.