Aronia: Everything About the Superfruit with Amazing Properties
Aronia, or black chokeberry, is becoming an increasingly popular shrub in our country as well, due to the numerous health benefits of its fruits. Why are aronia fruits so sought after and in what form can you consume them, find out below.
Aronia fruits are rich in fiber; 100 grams of dried aronia has about 17 grams of fiber. The high fiber content helps protect the immune system, lowers cholesterol, aids digestion, and regulates blood sugar levels.
Regarding vitamin and mineral content, aronia provides 35% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which helps produce collagen, strengthens immunity, and reduces inflammation in the body. Besides vitamin C, aronia is also rich in vitamin P, being one of the most important sources, which helps fix vitamin C in the body. Aronia fruits are also an important source of vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin A, folates, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium, and zinc.
Aronia Fruits – Fresh, Frozen, Dried
Many preparations are made from fresh aronia fruits, such as aronia juice, jam, syrup, compote, preserves, and even aronia wine. Fresh aronia fruits are also used in preparing desserts, like cakes and tarts, but it is recommended to add other flavors or fruits to the preparation to enhance the aronia taste. Aronia is also used in the food industry for the extraction of a powerful pigment.
Aronia fruits can be stored for up to two months under constant and quite low temperature conditions (up to 5 degrees Celsius). When placed in the refrigerator, aronia fruits retain their properties for a week. To consume them later, you can freeze the fruits. Freezing changes their taste, making them slightly sweeter. You can also dry aronia fruits to preserve them over winter, and then rehydrate and use them for various preparations, just like fresh fruits.
However, aronia is also used beyond the kitchen walls. These fruits with exceptionally many qualities are often used in the beauty industry for preparing aronia soaps or for various types of creams.
Aronia Fruits – Tea, Juice, Dried Fruits
Dried aronia fruits are used in preparing tea, being very tasty even unsweetened.
When you want to benefit from all the important qualities of these fruits, cold-pressed aronia juice is the best option. This way, you will enjoy the antioxidant properties and all the vitamins in these fruits. If you find the taste of aronia juice too astringent or bitter, it can be sweetened with honey or diluted with water.
To take a course of aronia juice, drink at least 100ml per day, after breakfast or lunch, for at least 3 – 6 months. For an aronia cure, this time with fresh fruits, consume three times a day, half an hour after meals. Aronia leaves can also be consumed. Aronia leaf tea is energizing and can be prepared with honey and lemon to be much easier to enjoy. To prepare aronia leaf tea, add 5 leaves to a liter of boiled water, cover the vessel, and let it cool.
When you want to consume dried aronia fruits, it is best to consume 20g per day as a snack between meals. However, they can also be added to yogurt or cereal for breakfast.