Tuesday, May 26, 2020

The Secret of the Chokeberry

The colour of chokeberries is not only pretty to look at, but also provides UV protection for the consumer. Of particular importance are secondary plant compounds which, as part of our daily diet, are extremely beneficial to health and general well-being.

Chokeberries can be bought and eaten fresh or dried. It is suitable for individual planting in a tub. For example, chokeberry decorates and plants a balcony or terrace. Due to the processing, which includes a heating process, the content of (bound and free) prussic acid is even lower here than in the raw fruit.

The taste of the berry means that chokeberries are rarely eaten raw, but mostly in processed form as juice, jam, jelly or as dried fruit. There are now isolated reports that warn against eating chokeberries because of their prussic acid content. It refers to 122 human studies, i.e. studies on humans, published by various universities, associations and from various countries.

There are no scientific studies on the risks and side effects of using chokeberry preparations. The anthocyanin content in fresh chokeberries is between 200 and 1000 mg per 100 g. No other vegetable agent or foodstuff has such high anthocyanin contents.

Simply place the dried chokeberries in water for a day so that they swell and add to your favourite cereal. By the way, the antioxidants and many other vitamins also have a positive effect on the rejuvenation of the skin, a cheap alternative to expensive creams.

The health-promoting effect of chokeberry juice, which many people expect from the berry, has not yet been scientifically proven.

The juice: thickened, the juice makes a delicious syrup or can also be used for fruit sauces and desserts.

The fresh fruit: hardly anyone enjoys the fresh chokeberry as a snack between meals - but it is great for making a liqueur or in a rum pot.

After defrosting, however, the taste and consistency may behave differently than the dried chokeberry. They are extremely frost-hardy, grow in barren soil and even diseases or pests hardly stand a chance. Due to their high dye content (anthocyanins), the berries are used in the food industry for colouring food.

When crushed, the dried berries are also suitable for making tea. Two to three teaspoons of the berries are poured over hot water and left to infuse for ten minutes. Even if some studies for the above-mentioned areas of application have found indications of a positive effect of chokeberry, the significance of the investigations is usually insufficient. Due to the processing, which includes a heating process, the contents of (bound and free) prussic acid are again lower than in the raw fruit.

The taste of the berry means that chokeberries are rarely eaten raw, but mostly in processed form as juice, jam, jelly or as dried fruit.

Visit: Aroniaberry.ca

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