Smreka! A Simple Fermentation Recipe

by Mason Hutchison

Looking for a new fermentation recipe? Look no further than the tasty Bosnian beverage, smreka! Smreka is a Bosnian word that translates to juniper berry, and could not be easier to make as it only has two ingredients (three if you count the wild yeast on the berries). The only difficult part is waiting the month that it takes to reach peak fermentation.

I first heard about smreka from Sandor Katz’s book (where else?) The Art of Fermentation. The recipe I use is identical to the one found in his book, except I quartered everything.

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Here’s the ingredients:

½ cup of juniper berries

Quart of water

Here’s the supplies:

Quart Mason jar with lid

Sprouting screen (or any liquid straining device)

Cheesecloth (optional)

1/2 cup of juniper berries

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Here’s what to do:

Pour the ½ cup of juniper berries into the jar and then fill it with water. You have a couple of options for capping it. For a more carbonated beverage, cap it tightly, but be sure to release the pressure every few days. Alternatively, place cheesecloth on top, or cap loosely with a lid for ease of pressure release. Either way will work. I chose to cap tightly and release the pressure every few days for the carbonation effect. You’re going to need to stir or shake the smreka every day or so. Allow it to ferment for approximately one month. By then, most or all of the juniper berries should have sunk to the bottom of the jar. This is when your smreka is ready to be imbibed. 

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Here's the smreka after one month. Notice all of the berries have sunk to the bottom of the jar. Capped with a band and a sprouting screen.

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Strain that fermented goodness. Try not to spill!

The last step is to strain the fermented beverage into a drinking vessel. The way I do it is super simple: I screw a sprout screen onto the mason jar with a regular lid-band. I then tip the drink over and strain all of the contents into a separate mason jar. Then I’ll cap the strained smreka and compost the remaining juniper berries. 

A note on what juniper berries to use:

Sandor says that smreka can be made with fresh or dried juniper berries. However, if you make them with fresh, you need to be certain that the juniper berries are edible, as some of the species are toxic. I buy mine from Mountain Rose Herbs as I know the ones they sell are the edible species. However, if you know your junipers, making smreka with your own wildcrafted berries would be outstanding!

Enjoy!

The smreka is quite tasty.

Juniper berries from Mountain Rose Herbs

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Mason is the creator of HerbRally and the Event and Outreach Coordinator for Mountain Rose Herbs. He studied herbalism, wildcrafting and botany at the Columbines School of Botanical Studies in Eugene, OR.

Choose Your Own Adventure: Conferences as One Path to Herbal Education

by Mel Kasting

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Traditions in Western Herbalism Conference, 2015. Photo compliments of Howie Brounstein.  

Do you remember the choose your own adventure books? Getting an herbal education  is a lot like one of those books.  We all start off at the same place, an interest in herbs  and a desire to learn more. From this jumping off point, there are many divergent paths...self study, apprenticeship, immersion programs, full and part-time schools, internships, herbal communities, farms. The list goes on. If you enjoy learning in community like I do, attending an herb school is a logical place  to start. Thanks to the internet and some amazingly dedicated people, like Mason from Herbrally and the folks over at the American Herbalist Guild (Thanks guys!) it’s easier than ever to  find and research herb schools. Most have websites, and the few that don’t are easily  contacted through email, phone, or social media sites. But let’s face it, as a new or aspiring herbalist, it’s a daunting task to make sense of a  school’s style, curriculum, and the type of herbalism each teacher practices, from  reading the ‘about us’ section of their websites.  Nor is it always feasible to travel  around the country visiting schools until you have that ‘ah ha’ moment. One great way to choose an herb school is to do your research, compile a list of  herbalists you are interested in studying with, and find a conference where most or all of  them are teaching. 

I’ve always attended local herb conferences and this year I was blessed with the ability  to attend a few larger events.  Not only did I get to meet and take classes with a ton of  herbal rock stars; for the first time I felt connected to the wider herbal community.  It was  inspiring. Like, crazy life and career affirming inspiring.    Attending an herb conference will allow you to learn from many potential teachers.  A lot  of schools have booth space in the vending areas and most teachers are open to  answering questions if you catch them at the right time.  You will also have the  opportunity to interact with students from herb schools you’re interested in.  It’s always a  great idea to ask current students about their personal experiences with schools and  teachers. You might also have a crazy fun time dancing to live music and end up laying on the floor laughing, dressed up as your favorite flower.

Mel Kasting is the administrator and a graduate of the Columbines School of Botanical Studies in Eugene,  OR. In addition to Columbines, Mel has taken online classes through the North American Institute of Medical  Herbalism. She spends her off hours seeing clients, working as an herbalist with Occupy Medical, a free  integrated mobile clinic, taking photographs, wildcrafting, and medicine making for her business, Artemis  Herbs.