Ingredients
- ½ cup dry or fresh juniper cones
- ¼ lemon, washed
- 4 cups water
Preparation
Place the juniper cones into a quart-sized jar. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the jar and add the remaining lemon rind. Fill the jar with water. Put a cloth or loose cap on the jar (so the carbon dioxide can escape as the liquid ferments) and let it sit for about 1 month. Shake or stir a couple of times a week. The berries will float up and down in the jar, but when most of them have sunk to the bottom, the smreka is ready. Taste it after it ferments for 7 days to 2 weeks to see if it has a suitable flavor. As with most ferments, the flavor is a personal preference and can be altered to what tastes good to you. Enjoy smreka straight or add more lemon and sugar. The berries can be reused for a second batch.