In the home garden, ripe chokeberries usually remain attached to the bush. They are edible and extremely he althy! Many people simply don't know that they can make delicious things out of them. The first taste directly on the bush can be deceiving - definitely stick with it!
Are chokeberries edible and when are they ripe?
Chokeberries (aronia) are edible and he althy, they taste sweet-sour-tart and can be eaten raw, dried or processed. They are ripe from mid-August to the end of September and contain many he althy ingredients.
When are the berries edible?
Harvesting this rose family extendsfrom mid-August to the end of September. However, since the summer weather influences the degree of ripeness, it is better to pay attention to these signs of ripeness:
- dark purple to black peel
- without green spots
- dark fruit stem
- the flesh is completely wine red to dark purple
If the berries are allowed to remain on the branches until the first frost, they develop even more he althy ingredients. It is not for nothing that the chokeberry is also called a he alth berry. Afterwards the berries are sweeter and the shriveled ones are the tastiest.
Can chokeberries be eaten raw?
Is aronia poisonous? Important question, because there have been a lot of warnings about toxic hydrogen cyanide. Studies have now shown that raw chokeberries are still edible. But so that the amount of hydrogen cyanide consumed remains harmless, only small portions should be eaten raw. After heating, the hydrogen cyanide content decreases significantly.
Otherwise, eating raw berries is a matter of taste. They are too bitter for most people. They also tighten their whole mouth!
What do chokeberries taste like?
Chokeberries, also called aronia berries, contain sweet fructose, but not only that. The small red-black fruits also contain plenty of fruit acid and tannins. This mixture gives them asweet-sour-tartaroma. The taste itself is compared to fresh blueberries or currants. If the berries are dried, the sweetness prevails more. Frozen berries are also sweeter. In addition, the taste can be varied almost as desired by combining it with other fruits. Incidentally, garden varieties taste sweeter than their wild relatives.
How long do harvested berries stay fresh and edible?
Aronia berries stay fresh in the fridge for a few days. If the fruit umbels are harvested whole, the fruits can be stored for longer. At room temperatureup to two weeks, at around 3 °C and a relative humidity of 85% up to 3 months.
How can the chokeberry be processed?
The tasty fruits of the Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry), which comes from North America and is now also widespread in Germany, can be pressed into pure juices or boiled into syrup. They also go well in smoothies, milk shakes and muesli. They are also a delicious fresh ingredient for cakes and muffins, and dried for tea.
The tart berries are most often and preferably processedwith sweet fruits such as apricots, apples, pears, currants or quinces. For example as
- Jelly
- Jam
- Fruit Bread
- or compote.
Tip
For long-lasting enjoyment, freeze chokeberries
Fresh berries aren't available every day. Therefore, use your freezer to significantly extend the usability of chokeberries. You don't have to make any major compromises. After defrosting, the consistency remains largely the same and the taste becomes pleasantly milder.
