Last Updated on July 22, 2020 by The 'Noms.

We had fun using this unique ingredient, Aronia Berries, in this syrup.

We grew up in the Midwest with relatives who loved to explore the many parks, country roads and outdoor spaces that are just minutes away. One of the earliest memories of outdoor adventures is of walking down a country road gathering wild fruit. These were wild plums, mulberries and choke cherries to be used in homemade jams and occasionally some homemade hootch!

The jams made from our wild fruits were delicious and were what both of us grew up eating on our PB&J’s until we went to college. These jams were delicious, a wonderful combination of tart and sweet, and those flavors have stuck with us.

This post contains sponsored content brought to you by Whole Foods Market. We received products to promote and develop recipes with but all opinions presented here are 100% our own. For further information please see our Disclaimer page.

What is the Aronia Berry?

One of those flavors was the aronia berry, a small dark purple berry that grows wild in the woods all through the Midwest and is sometimes called the chokeberry. Originally cultivated as an ornamental plant, its berry tart and so astringent it wasn’t something that was considered overly palatable.

But when research found that the berries held more anti-oxidants than other superfoods, Aronia berries became the next big superfruit to hit the market.

Aronia Berries

We were approached by Whole Foods Market to come up with some recipes using local products for the upcoming summer months. One of the products they provided for us was Aronia berries from Sawmill Hollow Farms, the first aronia berry farm in America, which just happened to be located just across the Missouri River from us. Located in the Loess Hills of Iowa, Sawmill Hollow Farms was founded by the Pittz family in 1997 as a way to return to their family roots.

They started out farming the aronia berry as it was a crop that fit well with their hilly location and limited acreage. The Pittz family has been at the forefront of the movement to cultivate the these Aronia berries and make it accessible to small family farmers while making it a commercial success.

What to do with Aronia Berries?

We wanted to try to recreate that nostalgic flavor of those wild fruit jams, but in an aronia berry syrup. Also, we knew that the tart berries would need sugar to balance the tart astringent nature of the berries. So, we used some of Sawmill Hollow Farm’s whole Aronia Berries combined with sugar to make a sweet syrup. Then we still wanted the syrup to have just a hint of the “choke” so we used the Aronia Berry Juice Concentrate to bring a real depth of flavor to the syrup.

This syrup has a rich complex sweetness that is almost like a rich red wine, with a hint of dryness. It still has enough sweetness to balance the tart, too. The flavor has a real old fashioned flavor that is reminiscent of those old homemade jams. Also, it is perfect for using on dishes like pancakes, spread on toast or even better, on top of a rich vanilla ice cream! We hope you enjoy!

Can Simple Syrups go bad?

They can get moldy if they sit too long. We encourage you to store it in the fridge in a jar, but for no more than one to two weeks. We actually have a whole shelf of simple syrups in our fridge at any given time!

What Ingredients are Needed for the Aronia Berry Syrup?

Aronia Berries

Water

Sugar

Salt

Cheers!

Like this recipe? Try these below, too!

Aronia Sour Cocktail

Rich Raspberry Simple Syrup

Other Aronia Berry Recipes

Also, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram and tag #gastronomcocktails so we can see all the wonderful recipes YOU recreate from this site!

You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter so you never miss a delicious recipe again!

Yield: 1 Aronia Berry Syrup Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes Chokeberry simple syrup, a sour and sweet syrup great for desserts or cocktails. Print Ingredients dash salt

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp Aronia berry concentrate

1 cup water

1/2 cup Aronia berries Instructions Heat all ingredients in a saucepan until boiling. Lower heat to a simmer and reduce down until liquid has thickened and the Aronia berries have split. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks. Recommended Products As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Frontier Bulk Aronia Berries Whole ORGANIC, 1 lb. package

Cuisinart CTG-00-3MS Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers Nutrition Information: Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 100 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 1mg Carbohydrates: 26.6g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 26.6g Protein: 0g Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

PIN THIS ARONIA BERRY SYRUP RECIPE FOR LATER!

Interested in stocking your own home bar? Make sure to see our favorites at our Amazon Store!

If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to subscribe for new (and of course free) recipes by entering your email address on the side bar (and get all the recipes delivered to your inbox when we post), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter!

Gastronomblog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com