Apple berries at first glance seem strange and at second glance are a terrific enrichment of the garden and the menu. The aromatic berries are a real treasure for home cooking and promote health through vitamins and valuable antioxidants.
Occurrence and cultivation of chokeberry
Chokeberries can be prepared in a very varied way and are a welcome addition to the menu because of their highly effective vital substances. The chokeberry (botanically Aronia) belongs like the apple tree and other fruit trees to the family of the rose family (Rosaceae). The wild forms “Aronia melanocarpa” with its deep black berries and “Aronia arbutifolia”, the red chokeberry, are regarded as effective medicinal plants. By crossing, the “Aronia prunifolia” with cultivars such as Nero, Viking or Aron was created. The black-red fruits are small as berries and show a tiny core in the juicy, red shiny flesh. Its bright white flowers are also reminiscent of those of the apple tree. Chokeberry fruits are harvested in late summer, and the foliage, which turns an intense red in the fall, offers a spectacular display of color. The chokeberry makes few demands on soil or location and tolerates both sun and partial shade. It is an attractive ornamental in the home garden that produces very healthy fruit. Originally, the chokeberry was a North American wild shrub whose vitamin-rich fruits served Indians as a winter supply. Botanist Ivan Mitschurin brought the shrub to Russia around 1900, where he researched its healing properties.
Effect and application
Apple berries can be prepared in a very varied way and are a welcome addition to the diet because of their highly effective vital substances. The flesh of the wild chokeberry tastes sweet and sour and somewhat tart, the cultivated varieties are somewhat milder in taste. In small quantities, the fruits of the wild varieties can be enjoyed fresh, but have a slight laxative effect due to the amygdalin they contain. When crushed and heated, the amygdalin content of wild berries is harmless. In stores, chokeberries are usually available in dried form and make a good base for a variety of delicious dishes. As a healthy ingredient in yogurt and quark dishes or as an interesting alternative to raisins, they can be used very well in muesli. Combined with sweet fruits such as bananas, apricots and pears, they make fine jams or jellies. Apple berries can also be used in cakes, muffins or other baked goods. A quick and healthy source of energy are chokeberry fruit bars. If you want to make your own fruit bars, mix chokeberries with oatmeal and puffed rice, add raspberries and coconut flakes, and stir with honey or maple syrup to make a mixture that is dried in the oven and then cut into bars. The berries are also a delight in chocolate fondue: to do this, melt dark chocolate in a water bath and coat the dried chokeberries with it. Pureed chokeberries, beaten through a sieve and mixed with milk, cream and honey make a vitamin-rich milkshake. In the same way, chokeberries are perfect as an ingredient in smoothies. In summer, an intensely purple thirst quencher made from apple juice, mineral water and a shot of chokeberry nectar is refreshing. Even interesting main dishes can be prepared with chokeberries: As an alternative to cranberries, chokeberry jelly goes perfectly with game dishes. Following the menu, chokeberry wine, which is available as a semi-dry dessert wine, is delicious. With tea from the pomace of the berries and bath salts further products from the chokeberry are offered. Those who are not primarily interested in culinary pleasures but are primarily concerned about the health-promoting properties of chokeberry can purchase chokeberry powder, lozenges or capsules. These contain the vital ingredients of the chokeberry in concentrated form.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
The berries of chokeberry are not only tasty and variably usable, they are above all an extraordinarily rich source of healthy vital substances. Apple berries contain folic acid, minerals and vitamins, as well as particularly high levels of the highly effective secondary plant substance anthocyanin. Anthocyanin is a pigment from the flavonoid group and is responsible for the red to dark purple coloration of the chokeberry. Flavonoids serve to protect the plant from diseases, excessive sunlight and ionizing radiation.Compared to other berries, chokeberry contains a remarkably high amount of this valuable ingredient. In chokeberry there is ten times more anthocyanin than in red grapes and about four times more than in black currants. The effect of the bioflavonoid anthocyanin on the human organism is extremely interesting for health care and disease prevention. Scientific studies prove antiviral, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. As a so-called free radical scavenger, chokeberry anthocyanin binds free radicals that attack the cells of the body. Too many of these harmful oxygen compounds disrupt cell metabolism and cause “oxidative stress” in the cell. This is favored by an unhealthy lifestyle, inflammation in the body and harmful environmental influences. The more cells of the body are attacked in this way, the more likely it is that health problems will arise. This accelerates the aging process of the cells, which can subsequently lead to serious diseases. The negative effects of free radicals can be favorably influenced by the antioxidant effects of chokeberry. It strengthens the immune system, protects the stomach and liver, has a balancing effect on blood sugar levels and can help prevent diabetes mellitus. The UV protection present in the anthocyanin pigment helps to keep the skin looking fresh. Chokeberry also has beneficial effects on the entire cardiovascular system, eyesight and blood vessels. The power of its ingredients makes the chokeberry a highly effective “fountain of youth” for the whole body.
