The chokeberry (aronia), which is now also popular in this country, is not only extremely healthy, it can also be used in many different ways in the kitchen. It is a component of delicious multi-fruit jellies and jams, can be processed into juices or dried and added to muesli. In addition, the fruits enrich homemade fruit wines and liqueurs or are suitable as an ingredient in sausage products. The berries should be harvested when they are as ripe as possible.

Rich harvest between mid-August and late September

The weeks between mid-August and the end of September are often mentioned as the usual harvest time. However, when the chokeberries are actually ripe depends on the weather during the summer months. If it rains rather little and the sun shines often and persistently, you can look forward to a relatively early and rich harvest. However, the rainier a summer is, the later the berries ripen.

Sweeter fruits due to longer ripening period

You can also leave the aronia berries on the bush until the first frost in December. This has the advantage that berries that have ripened longer can develop a higher proportion of healthy ingredients - and on the other hand, similar to grapes, develop a higher sweetness the longer they can remain on the bush. In particular, aronia berries harvested after the first frost have a much sweeter taste than the tart late summer fruits. By the way, it doesn't hurt if fruits that are harvested later look shriveled, on the contrary. These are often particularly tasty.

How can I tell if my aronia berries are ripe?

  • Shell is dark purple to black
  • Flesh is wine red throughout
  • Stem is also dark
  • no green areas visible on the shell

You can test whether your berries are already ripe as follows: Pick a few berries from the bush and cut them in half with a sharp knife. The flesh should be burgundy to dark purple throughout. In order to finally harvest the berries, it is best to bend or cut off the fruit umbels completely.

Protect aronia berries from birds

Since birds also know what is good for them, you should cover your aronia bushes with a bird protection net or a large curtain. Otherwise it can happen that Amsel and Co. are busy helping you with the harvest and there is not much left for you. The bird protection nets should be put out early, because your feathered friends know exactly when the chokeberry harvest is perfect.

tips and tricks

You don't need to leave the aronia berries on the bush until the first frost in order to harvest the best possible tasting fruit. You can also harvest them ripe in late summer and then freeze them in portions. Freezing the berries also makes them milder in taste.

Category:

Vegetable garden