Aronia Berries - Bumper Crop
 

Several years ago, I decided to plant a landscape garden around my house that contained lots of different berry plants, most of which I had never even heard of. I now have tons of berries going off during the summer months. One, is the Aronia Berry. I have a small hedge of these nutritious berries growing along a garden path and this year, I had a huge crop of them! In the past, I usually made some juice with them and added it to smoothies, but this year, I think that I need to come up with more ideas on how to use them. They're very astringent and kind of sour, so I have to be careful how I incorporate them into a recipe. Any ideas?

Here's one link that I found for cooking with aronia berries: https://deeprootsathome.com/aroniabe...and-6-recipes/

Thanks,
~ C

I had never heard of Aronia berries but I had heard of Choke Berries but didn't know what they looked like or anything. They grow in my zone and some of the varieties like a bog soil. I just may have to invest in some.

I had never heard of them, either. But the link has a note that Viking chokeberries are also known as aronia. They also have a chart showing aronia highest in antioxidants. I love learning something new every day.

I have never heard of these berries but will have to do some research to see if they can be grown in my area. I already have strawberries, blackberries and raspberries growing in raised beds. The blackberries are getting transplanted to my sister's property as they take up so much room. Thanks for the tip on these berries.

I have a friend who makes aronia berry jelly/jam. It's good. Check out this website for info and recipes. There's probably more on the internet.

http://aroniaberryservicesofneiowa.com/recipes.html

I have never heard of them either. If they needs lots of water - I'm out of luck here in central Texas.

I grow aronia! I have two bushes and more aronia that I have time to process. I harvest them a batch at the time and freeze in one galon plastic bags. Last year I made a lot of jam, adding apples and pears. The freezing helps to make them less tart (although it does not bother me, I can eat them right from the bush, but then, I grew up on the farm in central Europe, we had every fruit that would grow in that climate, I remember eating gooseberries when still green). I also use frozen aronia for making smoothies by adding just a handful to whatever else I am using. My neighbor is making rhubarb simple syrop for making a drink and I think that I will try to do that with aronia or just make aronia juice and use it for making a drink (gin, lime and ice).
All summer long I am cooking what we call 'a compote', handful of any fruit, some aronia, water and sugar to taste, some lemon peel or cinnamon stick. Sometimes I add to that some tonic, lime and ice, makes very refreshing drink. That is my drink at any time, instead of soda or even water. Hope that you will fine other ways for using this so healthy fruit. good luck!

Thanks for all of the great tips. We've been adding some to smoothies in the mornings, but I still have tons left. I think that I'm going to freeze a batch. That may help with the tartness and the astringency. Also, it's harvest season and we have lots of other stuff going off right now. I'm a bit overwhelmed. :( I'm afraid that I'm going to have to deal with the aronia berries later.

~ C.

We get a lot of rain in the winter, but our summers are hot and dry. The aronia berries grow like weeds with little, or no care.

~ C