Aronia berries have the highest ORAC value of all known berries – so they must be good right? Read on and we will tell you what you need to know…. 
Aronia bushes are big, beautiful plants. They are cold hardy and drought tolerant. Their leaves are a round, glossy, deep green. We have never watered or fertilized our aronia shrubs and they are semi-shaded by our house and a large birch tree. They don’t complain. They do get large, however, and we prune them every fall. We grow the Viking variety.
They can be made into juice or jam like any other berry. Here’s how we do it:
Step 1: Gather berries
Step 3: Mash, cook and run through a foley mill or sieve through a cheesecloth.
Step 4: Process into jam or keep as a juice.
Look what it did to my hands:
My hands looked gangrenous or like I was severely low on oxygen. It lasted for one day. FYI – aronia juice/jelly/berries will also stain your teeth. It brushes right off, but be aware of it in case you interact with other people right afterwards.
If you want to drink the juice – I recommend a very small amount.
It’s good like a dark cherry juice, but not something you drink quickly or in excess. It’s sort of like a really dry red wine.
You can also freeze cubes of the juice for smoothies. We use these silicone ice cube trays for everything (freezing juices, broths, soups, smoothies, desserts). They are amazing.
I eat the jelly on pancakes and with almond butter in sandwiches. It’s best mixed with something like almond butter
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