Aronais (aka aroniaberries, chokecherries), elderberries, and red and black currants are superstars in the world of berries, and are even better nutritionally than blueberries. Their ORAC scores are some of the highest known. We grow these three berries because of their ease of cultivation but especially for their health benefits.
Growing Aronias, Elderberries, and Currants
First, Aronias
All three kinds of fruiting bushes thrive in most parts of the US.
Aroniaberry in blossom and in fruit:
Fox News Health tells us that, “Specific agents in aronias are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-diabetic. They fight the formation of arterial plaque and lower serum cholesterol, and they protect the liver against a host of insults and toxins. In our ever-increasingly diabetic society, aronia’s compounds help to lower blood sugar and improve the body’s own natural production of insulin.”
The Aroniaberry contains a powerful natural blend of polyphenolic antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they combat free radicals in our body that are created from daily living, stress, environmental pollution, medical x-rays and even exercise. Free radicals can damage cells which can lead to health problems. Consuming foods high in antioxidants like the Aroniaberry may help support the body’s defense against these radicals. Many studies show they are powerful in Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
(Source)
Freezing and Baking
Aronias are very tart, and only my son, myself, and a few brave souls will eat them raw, BUT, they freeze well, are so dependable for a huge crop, and are delicious in quick-breads like this berry oat breakfast bread and smoothies (with bananas) as long as you add back enough honey or stevia. Smash a bit before baking with them.
I’m sure aronias dry (dehydrate) wonderfully although I haven’t done this yet. One bush is all that’s necessary as aronias are self-fertile, and growing them is so easy. They have no pest issues. Plant characteristics here. We planted ‘Viking’ (4-5′ tall). Purchase here.
See my post Aroniaberry Love & Six Recipes.
Growing Elderberries
Elderberries are not self-fertile and need 2 different varieties to bear fruit. The can grow pretty large, so plant where they can spread out and fairly close together, maybe 18-20′ apart maximum. Plant characteristics here.
We planted Johns and York. Purchase plants here.
Elderberries in blossom and in fruit:
Elderberries are also better nutritionally than blueberries. Used for its antioxidant activity to lower cholesterol, improve vision, boost the immune system, improve heart health and for coughs, colds, flu, bacterial and viral infections and tonsillitis. Elderberry juice was used to treat a flu epidemic in Panama in 1995.
For Your Medicine Cabinet: Powerful Medicinal Properties for Flu and Cold
They are fabulous for pies, jams and jellies, wine-making, and my reason for growing them~ making elderberry tincture, a cold and flu remedy that works wonders. The flowers are delightful breaded and made into fritters. While some say eating them raw is not good, we have upon occasion eaten a small handful and lived to tell about it.
See many additional PubMed studies here in this post: No Flu Shots 4 Us: We Use Elderberry Syrup (99% effective for H5N1)
This post contains links to all of my favorite resources on Elderberries plus peer-reviewed PubMed studies that are changing the way we think about flu!
And lastly, Growing Red & Black Currants..
in bloom and in fruit:
Blackcurrants have significantly high amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemicals called anthocyanins. Scientific studies have shown that consumption of blackcurrants have health effects against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases. Red currants have slightly less of these properties.
Currants are self-fertile and can have some mildew problems, so look for resistant varieties. We planted varieties Consort Black and Cherry Red. Growing them is easy as they have no significant pests.
Freezing and Baking
They freeze and dry nicely, and we use them fresh to make wonderful muffins, breads, these scones below, and (if you develop an Old World mindset as to taste) are wonderful fresh!
See recipe here.
While all these berries are are well known in Europe, we Americans are mostly missing out on the benefits. Take my word on it, they are pretty easy to grow and do not need spraying. Aronias, elders, and currants will add wonderful, God-designed health properties to your family’s diet. If you are preparedness-minded as we are, these will really be a blessing to have already producing.
We purchased ours at Edible Landscaping.com and Miller Nursery.
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.” ~ Genesis 1: 29
“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food” ~Hippocrates
Cheryl @Treasures from a Shoebox
The children saw the pictures of the elderberries and said they always make “ink” out them and use feathers to write with. I think we might try the jelly this year!
Joy
Beautiful berries! I have been wanting to plant Elderberries for a couple of years but haven’t had any luck locating plants. I live in TN, and since seeing your pictures I’m on the hunt again for some plants we love elderberry tincture !
Joy
Donna English
Very interesting information and such beautiful pictures! Donna
Nicole @ Working Kansas Homemaker
I love those photos Jacqueline, beautiful gardening and berries! I will need to look into what I can grow out here in Kansas and how to get it started. I would love to add in some berry varieties!
Blessings,
Nicole at Working Kansas Homemaker
Jennifer
This post was very enlightening. The great picture of the currants in bloom helped me identify a “mystery” bush growing at my fiancé’s farm. He didn’t think the berries were edible. I can’t wait to tell him. I look forward to harvesting them this summer.
Jacqueline
Jennifer, I am tickled to think that it helped you! Yay! Now you have currants that you can use for muffins and breads, or just eat raw…tart, but refreshing and so good for you 🙂
Brooke Church
I planted Elderberries and currants this year. 🙂 I am hoping to be able to make elderberry tincture in a year or two! I planted two currant bushes, but am thinking that maybe I didn’t plant enough. I wondering if there will be any berries left on the bush for me to do stuff with by the time my three children get to them. 😉 I got mine from St. Lawrence Nurseries. They sell organically grown trees and shrubs for northern states.
Jacqueline
Brooke, this year our currants are putting on so much foliage and much less berries than the last 3 years. I wonder why. Anyway, the gooseberries are outdoing themselves, so we can make lots of pies and jams. Let the children eat all they want; they are so good for them. So any don’t appreciate the finer things 😉 so you are blessed!
Nicole @ The Daily Dish
This is awesome. I seriously had these growing in my backyard when I was little, I would love to grow them now.
Your post is excellent, and I’d love if you would come link up with my Homemaking Monday post.
Kristel from Healthy Frugalista
I saw your recent elderberry post and it led me to this post. Everytime I stop by your blog I find myself going from post to post. You have many interesting topics!
I also make elderberry syrup and have found it to work really well. We take it at the first sign of any cold/flu symptoms in the winter. I had hoped to try making elderberry jelly this year, but I still haven’t been out to pick the berries. Everytime I go by I notice there are fewer and fewer berries on the bush. I have to put on tall boots and walk through poison ivy to get to the elderberries. I really should plant some in our yard!
We are also trying to landscape with edibles. I never thought about chokecherries. I’m going to see if they will grow here. I do make use of Autumn Olive berries. I don’t know if they grow where you live, but they are an invasive shrub and we have quite a few around our property. They have an unusual taste, and like other berries, are very high in antioxidents. I plan to do a post on them this fall.
Cindy
Just found and love your blog. A reminder on the chokecherries: The seeds contain cyanide. They are harmless if they pass through your body whole, but do not ever do anything that will crack them open (i.e. putting them in a blender or food processor) as this will release the poison. Chokecherry juice is an excellent remedy to prevent and relieve gout symptoms!!!
Jacqueline
Thank you for your kind words.
That is good to know…Cindy, we have used aronia/chokecherries in smoothies (frozen) over the last 2 years and blended them up. I wonder if the seeds remain whole since they get stuck in our teeth sometimes. I am so glad you told me, so now to research this and do it differently. Thanks, friend!
Jonathan
I think you are confusing Prunus virginiana (common name ‘chokecherry’), which have cyanide-containing seeds, with Aronia melanocarpa (common name ‘chokeberry’). Aronia seeds are completely safe to eat — no worries!
Jacqueline
Thank you for that, Jonathan! You are correct, I believe 🙂
Grace Wolfe
When I was a kid….close to 60 years ago…my Sisters and I loved to spend the week at my cousins home in the country. Every morning we arose to eat huge thick slices of homemade bread with homemade butter fresh from the cow…and homemade elderberry jelly. We ate till we could eat no more….we played house with odds and ends china in the granary till lunch time…at which time we ate more of the same. Later years, after marriage and kids of my own I moved out of town… there were elderberries growing along the road banks. I made jelly of my own. Moved to Texas and after years found a stand of Elderberries growing in a neighbors field. I made juice to make jelly later in the winter….summers are hot. I froze the juice. I later learned that elderberry juice was good to help you sleep…so every evening before bed time I would drink a small glass. So much for jelly….. I drank it all.
Jacqueline
What a wonderful recollection, Grace! It takes me back, too, to the days in childhood when I would bring home berries (ones we knew were safe) and made jellies and jams and juices…what special times those were! Glad to know elderberry juice helps with sleep!
Penny
It’s such a joy to notice that people are starting to extol the virtues of some of my favourite fruits and berries this side of the ocean, too.
I’m born and raised in Europe, and have had access to most of these throughout my childhood. My grandfather used to brew wine out of the Aronia berries growing as landscaping hedges on the lot my grandparents’ condo is on, and my paternal grandmother always had elderflower juice available in summer time at her cottage. I don’t think she kept the tree for the berries, as I don’t remember ever being served elderberries at her place. The stuff ikea sells isn’t as tasty to me, but it’s the closest thing I can get to until I can get a reliable source of clean elderflowers.
Steam extracted (it retains the vitamins, as the steam method won’t boil, just pasteurizes the juice) blackcurrant juice is still my favourite juice, it is especially lovely served warm if I have a bit of a cold, blackcurrant jam is my favourite condiment with some savoury dishes like chicken casserole (think cranberry sauce with turkey, if the thought initially seems off-putting), and lovely on breakfast toast.
I can’t wait for us to get a house so I can establish an orchard for fruit and berries.
Jacqueline
Ah, Penny,
You really described beautifully the fruit and its uses. I may just have to look into a steamer!
My father, from Holland, also loved these berries and so I guess my parents made a point to find them. There are not so many growing them for sale anymore…if you lived close by, I would ask you to come and pick with me 🙂
None of the berry bushes are really hard to grow, and you should have some crops in a short while. I do hope you can move to where you can easily do this as a family. It may be sooner than you think, but just know the Lord has the best plan of all for you!
Many blessings~~
Carolann
I would also like to try growing my own instead of purchasing dried. Do you have any resources for these plants.
Jacqueline
Hi, Carolann! There are links for the plants in the post. Check out Ediblelandscaping.com which sells them all! 😀
Daniel
This is probably the best overview in this topic I read so far! Thanks for the good research! Aronia berries are my favorite!
Jacqueline
Thanks, Daniel! We love them, too!! ~J