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Aronia Berry Simple Syrup

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Last Updated on August 18, 2024 by Leah Hall

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! Try our Watermelon Syrup, too!

 

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.

 

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Aronia Berry Syrup on ice cream in wooden bowl. Aronia berry bottle and bag in background with ice cream container

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 super fruit to hit the market.

Aronia Berry Syrup on ice cream in a wooden bowl with ice cream in background

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.

Aronia Berry Syrup on ice cream in a wooden bowl. Aronia berry bottle and bag in back with flowers

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!

 

Aronia Berry Concentrate

If you don’t have access to this product that is available in some stores, you can make your own at home.

 

Take about 1/4 cup of Aronia berries and break them down (muddle them) in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the juices are released and then cook until slightly thicker.  Strain out the pulp and seeds, this will be your concentrate for the syrup. Since you only need 1 Tablespoon for the syrup, you will have some more left over, and it can be frozen for future recipes if needed.

 

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!

 

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Like this recipe? Try these below, too!

The Aronia Sour - Egg White VersionAronia Sour Cocktail

 

The Cranberry Sweet and SourCranberry Sweet and Sour Cocktail

 

Other Aronia Berry Recipes

Aronia Berry Syrup - purple syrup on ice cream in wooden bowl. Purple syrup in glass jar behind
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.

Ingredients

Aronia Berry Simple Syrup

  • 1/2 cup Aronia berries
  • 1 Tablespoon Aronia berry concentrate (more info in blog post)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • dash salt

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.

Notes

If you are making your own Aronia berry concentrate, there is more info for this recipe in the blog post itself, above.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 100Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 26.6gFiber: 0gSugar: 26.6gProtein: 0g

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amy

Sunday 3rd of September 2023

I planted an aronia bush for the antioxident factor from the berries and have been at a loss of what to do with all of them. The syrup came out GREAT! Thank you for such a tasty and easy recipe! We'll be adding it to waffles/pancakes, ice cream and sparkling water or to make cocktails. :D

The Noms

Monday 4th of September 2023

We LOVE to hear that! Cheers! Leah

Joyce Cook

Saturday 17th of September 2022

I have just juiced a bag of fresh aroma berries my daughter brought from Neb. I want to make some jelly with MCP pectin do you have a recipe? do I use apple juice with the aroma juice?

Paula

Friday 27th of January 2023

@Joyce Cook, I would look up chokeberry jam and compare, possibly use. Just saw this and thought I would comment. Hope yours turned out good.

The Noms

Saturday 17th of September 2022

Hi Joyce, unfortunately, I do not have a recipe for jelly. We just have the aronia berry simple syrup recipe.

Amy

Wednesday 14th of September 2022

Hi there! Thanks so much for this delicious looking+sounding recipe! Your recipe is using fresh berries, correct? Also, wondering if you've ever tried making the syrup with honey and if canning the syrup in a water bath would extend it's shelf life? I'm thinking these would be great solstice gifts. Thanks!

Amy

ForageKC

The Noms

Wednesday 14th of September 2022

Hey there! We used fresh berries, but frozen will work too. And we haven't done anything other than make it the way we have it in the recipe. We haven't tried to can either, so I cannot answer that, sorry! It's a lovely syrup, and good luck!

Meghan

Wednesday 25th of August 2021

I just found a whole bush of Aronia berries, and wanted to make something the simple syrup sounded fun but I don’t have the other syrup that they’re talking about and no way to get it. I wish they had had a alternative ingredient

The Noms

Wednesday 25th of August 2021

Hi Meghan, I think you are referring to the Aronia concentrate? It's just the juice of aronia berries cooked down a little. I will add a section in the blog post about this procedure for the ingredient, and I will email you as well. Thanks! Leah

Carol Havelka

Saturday 29th of August 2020

Am really excited about this recipe! Just harvested some aronia berries!How do you make the aronia berry concentrate for the syrup recipe?

The 'Noms.

Sunday 30th of August 2020

We bought ours and didn't make it, but I assume that you make juice, and then over heat boil it down to a reduction. At least that is what I would do. Good luck! Leah

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