Juicy and delicious everyday dinner. Gin and juniper berries give the meat a pleasant woody taste.
Braising produces extremely moist, tender, and flavorful meat and pork will be so soft and tender you can cut it with a spoon. Apple juice and onions forming a tasty sauce. Sweet and sour with juniper taste.

And the liquid used for braising can be used as a sauce or gravy, which is handy for pork dishes served with rice or a similar side dish.

Juniper berries (cones) are refreshing and power-giving Nordic treats.
The type of juniper most widely spread in Estonia is the common juniper (juniperus communis). You can see it growing the most in Western and Northern parts of Estonia. Juniper symbolizes rebirth, protection and humbleness. „There is no reason to wonder, why the juniper has become one of the symbols of our windy homeland and for all Estonian nation, showing the undying power of life, no matter what comes ahead. (Ants Viires, 2000)“

Picking juniper berries means success that can be achieved with hard work. People widely  believe that if you eat one juniper berry in a day, they stay young forever. If children have three juniper berries in a day, they are more likely to stay healthy.
This and many other sayings created a belief that a juniper can cure 9 different diseases, 99 diseases in some cases.
Since juniper berry  carries a cross formation on it, it was believed that juniper can help against witchcraft, revenants and anything evil.

It is also believed that juniper cleans and strengthens one’s body  energetically. For humans it has the best effect by breathing in, but it can also affect objects around that person. Juniper branches burnt in the house may clean up bad aura.       

 Juniper berries contain essential oils, sugars, resins, colorants, fatty acids, organic acids, carbohydrates and trace elements (Manganese, Iron, Copper and Aluminum). Juniper berries have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial effects during colds. Berries also stimulate urine and saphenia and promote digestion.

Continue reading “Apple and Buckthorn Pork with Juniper berries. Õunasiga kadakaga” →