How to Freeze Aronia Berries

Black chokeberry, or Aronia, is a deciduous shrub that produces slightly tart, sour-sweet berries known for their health benefits. Learn how to preserve these delicious berries in the freezer for year-round access to their advantages.

Chokeberries, also known as aronia berries, are low in calories but high in vitamins, minerals, and beta-carotene. These berries are particularly rich in vitamin C, vitamin P, vitamin E, niacin (PP), and various B vitamins. Therefore, harvesting and cleaning aronia is quite simple. Additionally, aronia berries contain several trace elements, including iron, boron, iodine, copper, manganese, and molybdenum.

Typically, aronia is harvested in the autumn (September to October), preferably after the first frost. During this time, the berries are well-ripened and make excellent ingredients for jam, fruit compotes, coulis, liqueurs, and other delicious treats. However, due to an unusually hot August in my area, the heat began to dry out the fruit. As a result, I decided to pick the aronia berries earlier to prevent them from drying out.

How to Preserve Black Chokeberries for winter – How to freeze aronia berries

You can preserve aronia berries for winter in several ways, depending on how you plan to use them later. I enjoy adding aronia berries to the dough when baking muffins and fruit cakes, and I also use them alongside other types of berries to make fruit drinks. My main goal is to maintain the shape of the berries, so freezing them whole is the perfect option. It’s great that chokeberries can withstand the freezing process without losing their beneficial properties.

You can also store aronia in the freezer pureed. Take 1 part sugar for 3 parts of berries. I had 200 g of sugar with 600 g of aronia berries combined and then blended into a fine mixture. Transfer the aronia pure into a container that can be used in the freezer.

Here is my favorite way to freeze aronia berries for further use. You will need some cooking appliances:

1. a colander;
2. a kitchen towel (or paper towels);
3. a zip-lock bag.

• Wash the fruit thoroughly, and then remove the clusters with leaves and stems.
• Lay them out on a flat surface over a paper towel or kitchen towel. Let the berries dry to remove excess moisture. You can try carefully patting them dry with paper towels, but try not to damage the berries in the process.

• Take a zip-lock bag and put berries inside. Place them in one layer, as in the picture, and try to get rid of the air as much as possible before sealing the bag.

• Freeze for further use.

I find this method to be the easiest for me. You can spread the berries out on a flat surface, like a cutting board or a big plate, and leave them in the freezer for a few hours until they freeze. After that, you can just transfer them to a container or a bag. There was one time when I totally forgot about the berries in the freezer and discovered them the next day. Another time, I didn’t place the plate evenly, and all the berries ended up scattered everywhere!

Try it out and share your favorite method for freezing black chokeberries! Please leave your feedback in the comments below!