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nafex - [NAFEX] Michele Stanton and her Aronia....

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  • From: Richard MURPHY <murphman108@msn.com>
  • To: nafex <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Michele Stanton and her Aronia....
  • Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:45:02 +0000

Hello Michele and friends;
 
I have been interested in Aronia Melanocarpa for a few years now. So, last year in the Spring, I planted 10 Nero plants in zone 4 Maine.
This year, they are growing with average vigor, despite the weeds.
 
Two weeks ago, I was coming home from the supermarket, and I noticed some shrubs in the ditch that were obviously put there by the landscaping company. Aronia! Big, black shiny berries in clusters! Bushes 4' tall. So, I parked my shitbox, went into the ditch and snapped off a small branch & berries. Google agrees. Aronia, the Black kind, variety unknown. Last week, I went back and collected a gallon in about 15 minutes and brought them home. By the way; not one berry had a bug in it!
 
Now to your question; Yes, they are bland and astringent. These buggers will not sell on a farmstand! But, neither will Elderberries. The Aronia I picked are now part of a batch of Aronia-Apple wine I just made. In a year, we'll have a verdict. By themselves, they are boring. I see a lot of Aronia Pie recipes. These would probably be 'OK'. Cooking the Aronia sems to attenuate the astringency a bit. You'll need a lot of sugar. These berries, as you stated, are not the juiciest.... They are actually little Pommes, having about 5 tiny seeds each. Similar seedage to a Blueberry.
 
When I make wine, I use Elderberries as an adjunct. I suspect Aronia will be another. Please try a pie, and let the rest of us know how it was! (I once made a pie out of Prunus Besseyi. Raw berries were just horrible, but it was the BEST PIE I EVER ATE!!!) You might need a tiny bit of lemon juice to 'get it up off the floor'.
 
Murph

R A Murphy Jr




  • [NAFEX] Michele Stanton and her Aronia...., Richard MURPHY, 08/25/2010

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