Black Chokeberry - 2 years

Description:

Aronia, or black chokeberry, is a hardy fruit bush native to Eastern Canada, and famed for its nutritional benefits. It has a distinctive astringent and sweet taste. While some will enjoy it for fresh eating, it is appreciated by all in jellies, preserves and pies. It also displays genuine beauty and high ornamental value, and one of the easiest fruits to grow; without any known disease or insect problems to date.

The fruit 

Aronia, or black chokeberries, are small, round, jet-black berries about the same size as blueberries. They ripen in fall and hang on the bush for some time when ripe. Generally they can be harvested any time between late August to early October, depending on the area where they are grown – with more sugars and flavour developing the later they are harvested.

Aronia berries are quite firm in texture; with tiny, imperceptible seeds. The berry has a distinctive and complex taste which some will dislike and others appreciate. Its predominant flavour is astringence, and it is also very high in tannin, giving a ‘drying sensation’ in the mouth. This is balanced with sweetness, a small amount of acidity and a pleasant aroma. (Contrary to what is sometimes claimed, it is neither bitter nor strongly acidic in flavour.) If you like strong black tea, 90% chocolate and dislike very sweet things, you will very likely enjoy the taste of aronia. 

Since many people find aronia too astringent to eat fresh out of hand, it tends to be mainly used in preserves, juices and baking, where it has a wide range of applications. We have found it particularly delicious when combined with other fruit into a flavourful juice. We have also used it to make excellent jellies and jams, and are still exploring its possibilities!

Along with sweet products, its flavours would probably make it interesting to use in savoury cooking in meat sauces, although this is something we have yet to experiment with ourselves.

One of the main reasons for interest in aronia is its nutritional value. It is exceptionally high in antioxidants (the highest of any fruit that has been tested, even higher than elderberry), and also contains high levels of vitamins and minerals. This does not mean it is a miracle cure-all (it is always good to be wary of hype), but it is definitely a very healthy fruit that will make a great addition to anyone’s diet. 

Ornamental Value 

Aronia is a very beautiful-looking shrub, with profuse pink or white flowers in late spring, and a wonderful show of fiery red foliage in the fall. Its berries also look very pretty, as they hang on the tree like decorations. In fact, aronia has often been used for landscaping and ornamental purposes by those who have no idea that the fruit is edible. It would make a lovely edible and flowering hedge: if you wish to use it for this purpose, you can space the plants 1 metre apart.