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Juniper

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COMERG • Juniper extraction

Juniper Berry

Juniperus communis L.

Turn juniper berries into a fresh, food-grade extract with COMERG equipment. Our cold, room-temperature, low-pressure process captures the crisp, piney brightness of the berry, the alpha-pinene and myrcene that make juniper the defining botanical of gin, without the heat that older methods rely on.

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32% alpha-pinene

The spice

The piney berry-cone

Juniper is the small berry-like cone of Juniperus communis, an evergreen of mountains and heaths. Its fresh, crisp, resinous aroma is mountain air in a fruit, carried by alpha-pinene and myrcene, the terpenes that also make juniper the botanical at the heart of gin.

The berries are milled and processed cold, so the finished extract keeps the full piney brightness of the fruit. Nothing is added, and the natural balance of pinene, myrcene and the supporting terpenes is preserved.

Raw material

Botanical nameJuniperus communis L.
FamilyCupressaceae
Plant partBerries
ConditionGround
OriginBulgaria
AvailabilityAll year

The extract

What the process delivers

Run on COMERG equipment, juniper berries yield a standardised, high-strength extract, batch after batch. Because the extraction is cold and solvent-light, with no high heat, the crisp piney notes carry straight through to the finished oil. The figures below are typical of a standardised BJun-60.1 grade.

≥60%Volatile oil v/w
32%Alpha-pinene
21%Myrcene
<25 °CExtraction temp
97%Compound recovery
~68 kgBerries per kg extract

The method

Cold extraction, in three steps

No heat, no leftover solvent. This is what happens inside a COMERG aerosol system, and why the extract keeps the full juniper character.

1

Pressurised R134a flooding

Non-toxic liquefied R134a gas is introduced to the milled juniper berries at controlled, low pressure. There is no heat, the cycle begins and stays at room temperature.

2

Selective aromatic dissolution

The liquid gas gently dissolves the alpha-pinene, myrcene and the bright terpenes, while the heat-sensitive piney top notes stay structurally intact.

3

Recovery and pure extract

The R134a is fully recovered and recycled in a closed loop. What is left is a concentrated juniper extract, at least 60% volatile oil, with under 0.1 g/kg residue.

Aromatic profile

The compound fingerprint

Principal constituents identified by GC-MS, each above 1%. Alpha-pinene leads, with myrcene close behind, the pair that gives juniper its fresh, resinous, mountain-air character.

a-Pinene
32%
Myrcene
21%
Germacrene
8%
Sabinene
5%
Limonene
4%
beta-Caryophyllene
4%
a-Humulene
3%
0%15%25%32%+

Other extractables present. Per-batch GC-MS report available on request.

Specification

BJun-60.1 at a glance

Identity & origin

Botanical nameJuniperus communis L.
Plant partBerries
OriginBulgaria
Product codeBJun-60.1
CAS No.84603-69-0
EINECS No.283-268-3

Production

MethodLiquefied-gas extraction
TemperatureBelow 25 °C
SolventFood-grade (Dir. 97/60/EC)
Solvent residue< 0.1 g/kg
StandardisationDeclared volatile oil
Concentration1 kg ≈ 60-75 kg berries

Physical

AppearanceYellow clear oily liquid
Volatile oil60-65% v/w (ASTA)
INCI nameJuniperus Communis Extract
Density905 g/l
Refractive index1.4929
Acid value18.3 mg KOH/g

Solubility & output

In oilsFully soluble
In 40% alcoholPartial
In waterInsoluble
Flash point> 43 °C
ContainerLined aluminium bottle
Shelf life2 years

Why juniper, why cold

A fresh berry, captured whole

A concentrated berry

Juniperus communis, Bulgaria

Plant partBerries, milled
Berries per kg extract~60-75 kg
Volatile oil≥ 60% v/w
AntioxidantDPPH IC50 43.0 mg/ml

Captured cold

Versus steam distillation

a-Pinene32% retained
Myrcene21%
Process temperature< 25 °C
Top notesPreserved

Applications

What you can make

Gin & spirits Food & flavour Game meats & marinades Fine perfumery Cosmetics Home fragrance

The extract can be taken concentrated or diluted in a carrier oil to suit the application. Typical filling rates for the concentrated extract in food are 5 to 50 mg per kilogram of product.

Why the COMERG line

Built for fresh botanicals like juniper

The crisp freshness above is not an accident of the berry alone, it is what the right equipment makes repeatable. Our line is engineered around the things that matter when you process a terpene-rich, top-note botanical.

Room temperatureR134a aerosol extraction works cold and at low pressure, so the volatile piney top notes are never cooked off.
Keeps the pineneAlpha-pinene and myrcene carry the fresh juniper character. Cold extraction concentrates them cleanly into the extract.
Fully automatedClosed-loop systems run the cycle for you, so results stay consistent and one operator can handle the line.
Fast cycles, high yieldLow-pressure extraction is quick and recovers up to 97% of the berry's compounds, more than older high-pressure CO2 lines.
Scales with youFrom a 10 l pilot unit to 2000 l production, the same method grows from R&D batches to full output.
Clean and economicalIt uses around 85% less energy than solvent methods and needs no special hazardous-location facility.

Why it wins

Compared to the alternatives

Against steam distillation, solvent and CO2, cold R134a extraction keeps more of the juniper, with a clean, fresh, high-strength result.

FeatureCOMERG R134aSteam distillationSolventCO₂ supercritical
Process temperature< 25 °C (room temp)100-150 °C40-70 °C31-80 °C
Aromatic preservation95%+60-75%~85%~80%
Compound recoveryup to 97%70-85%80-90%85-92%
Alpha-pineneConcentratedRetained, some lossRetainedMostly retained
Solvent residue< 0.1 g/kgNoneNeeds post-purgeNone
Energy use85% less vs solventHighMedium-highVery high
Special facilityNot requiredNot requiredRequiredHigh-pressure safety

From berry to extract

The machines for juniper

A complete COMERG line takes juniper from raw berry to a finished extract. These are the core stages, each available as standalone equipment.

View all equipment
Product specificationFull composition, properties, packaging and handling for juniper extract BJun-60.1.
Download PDF

Questions

Juniper extraction, explained

A 100% natural juniper berry extract, product code BJun-60.1. It reaches at least 60% volatile oil, led by around 32% alpha-pinene and 21% myrcene, with no additives.

Liquefied food-grade gas extraction at room temperature, below 25 °C, and low pressure. Because there is no high heat, the delicate aromatic compounds are preserved and solvent residue stays below 0.1 g/kg.

Juniper's freshness lives in light monoterpenes like alpha-pinene and myrcene that can be dulled by prolonged heat. Cold R134a extraction concentrates them cleanly so the extract stays crisp and piney.

Roughly 1 kg of extract represents around 60 to 75 kg of milled juniper berries.

Yes. The same cold process runs from a 10 l pilot unit to 2000 l production systems, so you can start small and grow without changing method.

It is produced with a food-grade solvent per Directive 97/60/EC. It is a raw material for formulation, not intended for direct consumption or undiluted topical use, and users are responsible for compliance with applicable legislation.

Yes. A per-batch GC-MS analysis is available on request, and a Safety Data Sheet per 2006/1907/EC is supplied with the product.

Set up your juniper line

Tell us your throughput and target product. We will recommend the right system, share a yield estimate for your juniper berries, and reply with pricing and lead time, usually within 48 hours.

COMERG extracts are raw materials for product formulation. They are not intended for direct consumption or for undiluted topical application in cosmetics, perfumery or aromatherapy. This information is provided to the best of our knowledge and is not a substitute for prior testing of suitability for the intended use. Keep away from children.

The juniper line

Equipment for processing juniper

The machines below make up the juniper line, the equipment that takes the berry through to a finished extract. Request a quote on any unit and we will reply with pricing and lead time.

  • 5L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    5L Fully Automated Compound Remediation System

    A bench-scale system that refines a finished botanical extract, selectively removing unwanted constituents at room temperature while preserving the aromatics and actives.

  • 6" SS Wiped Film Distillation System

    6″ SS Wiped Film Distillation System

    A stainless-steel short-path wiped film system that distills and purifies heat-sensitive botanical fractions in seconds under deep vacuum, with no thermal damage.

  • Automated Vape Cartridge Filling Machine

    Automated Vape Cartridge Filling Machine

    A compact automated filler for viscous botanical oils, with a heated mixer, jacketed feed and temperature-controlled nozzle for clean, bubble-free 0.3-3 mL doses.

  • Dual-Cut Botanical Harvester

    Dual-Cut Botanical Harvester

    A tractor-towed harvester that cuts flowering tops and stalks in a single pass, feeding a self-unloading 5 m³ bunker at up to 2 hectares per hour.

  • EtOH Fully Automated Ethanol Extraction System

    EtOH Fully Automated Ethanol Extraction System

    A scalable 20-1000L ethanol platform that washes botanicals with chilled food-grade ethanol and recovers the solvent in a closed loop for clean, full-spectrum extracts.

  • Gas Chromatography Analysis System

    Gas Chromatography Analysis System

    A compact benchtop GC-FID analyser with a built-in hydrogen generator and dual columns for fast, low-cost potency, aroma-profile and residual-solvent testing.

  • Mold & Yeast Remediation System

    Mold & Yeast Remediation System

    A low-pressure decontamination system that removes mold, yeast and microbial load from botanical material and extracts at room temperature, with no heat or irradiation.

  • SHW 120L Subcritical Hot Water Extraction System

    SHW 120L Subcritical Hot Water Extraction System

    A solvent-free 120L production system that extracts polar, water-soluble compounds with pressurised hot water, delivering both a concentrated extract and an aromatic water.

  • SHW 60L Subcritical Hot Water Extraction System

    SHW 60L Subcritical Hot Water Extraction System

    A solvent-free 60L system that extracts polar, water-soluble compounds with pressurised hot water, yielding both a concentrated extract and a fragrant aromatic water.

  • Stick & Seed Separation System

    Stick & Seed Separation System

    A sifting and air-separation line that sorts dried botanical biomass into three clean fractions – flower and leaf, stalk, and seed – ready for extraction or sale.