Aronia - The best natural antioxidant full of vitamins and minerals.

If you have already heard from someone about the term "Siberian blueberry", you must have wondered what kind of plant it is. It is chokeberry, a real superfood among foods. It is full of nutrients, antioxidants and vitamins, the combination of which represents the ideal amount of natural healing substances for your body. These tiny dark berries make an excellent chokeberry syrup.

This healthy juice has become popular in our region as well, and the plant itself is very easy to grow and maintain, which is a mitigating circumstance.

Aronia was used as a medicine by North American Indians, knowing how medicinal and useful it is. She arrived in Europe thanks to English overseas ships. The Europeans initially planted it exclusively as an ornamental plant, only to then spread throughout the Old Continent.

Russian scientists have determined that the healing properties of chokeberry have a wide range. From solving problems with the liver, stomach, digestive system, through diabetes to thyroid disease. It is especially useful for strengthening the immune system, when chokeberry syrup is used.

This plant grows in the form of a bush, and is characterized by solid dark green leaves. The flowers have a very nice and pleasant scent, so they attract bees that simply adore them. However, what is most striking are the chokeberry berries, which have a dark red or black color. They can be eaten as fresh fruit, but also as dried, ground, candied or cooked. What is special about this fruit is that heat treatment can make a healthy thick chokeberry juice that children simply adore.

From the ingredients you need:

2 kg of ripe chokeberries,

1 l of water,

800 g of sugar,

1 lemon.

Syrup preparation:

Clean the chokeberry berries and rinse with water. Then pour a liter of water and sugar into one sherpa, and put it to boil. You can reduce the amount of sugar if you want.

When it starts to boil, stir slowly and gradually add the berries. Continue stirring until it starts to boil again. Then slowly squeeze the chokeberry to release its juice.

When the berries are cooked and when you notice that the mixture is boiling again, reduce the temperature and let it stand for another two minutes. After that, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Cut the lemon in half and squeeze it. Strain the cooled mixture to separate the chokeberries, and return the obtained syrup to the hob so that it starts to boil again. When that happens, remove it from the heat and pour lemon juice into it and mix well.

The preparation of chokeberry syrup is finished and after that you can pour it into clean glass bottles or jars. Need to close the cap or lid tightly.

Store the dishes in a cool, dark place and let them stand for at least a day. After that, you can consume it as needed every day.

Do not throw away the remaining berries from the syrup, but use them to prepare jam or compote. They are very tasty, so you can use them as part of a fruit cake.