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Rhubarb-Aronia Refrigerator Jam

1 pound rhubarb (I used frozen but fresh would work.)

2 cups Aronia berries

1/2 cups water

2/3 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon cardamom    

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Put first four ingredients in heavy saucepan and cook on low, stirring occasionally. When it begins to bubble add the cardamom. Continue cooking until the rhubarb breaks down and can be "mushed" against the side of the pan. You may have to add a little more water to keep it from sticking. Pour into blender or food processor and process until almost smooth. Pour hot into clean jars. You can water bath this to preserve as with any other jam.

Options:

Stir a spoonful into your morning yogurt.  Make steak sauce: to 1/2 cup of jam add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.  Barbecue sauce: use as is or add molasses and Liquid Smoke to taste.

Aronia Berry Jelly

3 ½ cups Aronia berry juice (6 cups berries) 

½ cup lemon juice

1 package pectin (Sure Jell)

6 cups sugar

Wash fruit and cover with water.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Strain juice through cheese cloth.  Pour juice into a 6-8 quart non–reactive kettle such as enamel or stainless steel.  Add pectin and lemon juice and stir.  Bring to a boil, add sugar, stir and bring to a full rolling boil.  Boil exactly 2 minutes.  Skim off foam and pour into clean, hot jars.  Seal.  

Note:  Lemon juice can be cut back to 1/3 cup.  

3 ½ cups berries = 1-pound         Yield:  4 pints

Aronia Jelly - Low Sugar 

3 ½ cups Aronia berry juice (6 cups berries)

4 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 package low sugar pectin (Sure Jell in pink box)

4 cups sugar

Yield:  4 pints

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Wash fruit and freeze.  (This allows more juice to be extracted.)  Cover frozen berries with water, simmer for 15 minutes.  Mash the fruit with potato masher.  Strain juice through cheese cloth, squeezing hard to get all juice.  Pour needed amount into a 4 quart kettle adding water to make the 3 ½ cups, if needed.  Add pectin and lemon juice and stir.  Bring to a boil, add sugar and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring well.  Boil only 2 minutes.  Skim off foam and pour into clean, hot jars.  Hot water bath or may be frozen or place in refrigerator.

Aronia Rhubarb Jam

By Roberta Barham

5 cups chopped Aronia berries

5 cups rhubarb (diced)

4 1/2 cups sugar (less if desired)

1 box low-sugar or no-sugar pectin

Chop berries.  Mix pectin with 1/4 cup sugar.  Stir into fruit.  Bring mixture to a rolling boil (that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim off any foam with a metal spoon.   Ladle immediately into sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch from top. Wipe jar rims and threads.  Cover with lids and bands, screw tightly.  Place jars on an elevated rack in a canner.  Lower rack into canner and cover by 1-2 inches of water.  Cover, bring to a gentle boil and process 10 minutes.  

Remove jars and cool on a towel or rack.  After cooled, check seals and store.  Unsealed jars should be refrigerated.

Sweet Aronia Sauce

1 ½ cups Aronia berries

¾ cup sugar

1 cup water

1/1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

 

Bring water and sugar to a full boil in a small saucepan and boil 1 minute.  Add Aronia berries and lemon juice and lower heat to medium to medium low.  Cook at a simmer to a low rolling boil for about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from heat and puree until smooth.  Press with cheesecloth or fine sieve to remove any solids.  Let cool.  Serve over cheesecake or ice cream.

Aronia/Rhubarb Sauce

4 cups rhubarb

2 cups Aronia berries

2 cups sugar (or adjust to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer until thickened.

Excellent on pancakes, as a pastry filling, by itself, on ice cream, maybe a pie. Use your imagination!

Honey Sweetened Aronia Concentrate 

1 part honey

5 parts Aronia juice 

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Mix together and use this mixture as a base for recipes.

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Ideas:  Meat Glaze: Glaze meats (beef, pork, chicken) with Honey Aronia Concentrate.

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Sparkling Aronia Drink (1 glass): 1/3 cup Honey Aronia Concentrate, 2/3 cup unsweetened Seltzer water, 1 lemon wedge.

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Aronia Drink (1 glass): 1/3 cup Honey Aronia Concentrate, 2/3 cup water, 1 lemon wedge. 


Aronia Punch (Makes 28 ½-cup portions): 2 liters ginger ale, 6 ounces frozen lemon juice concentrate, 6 ounces frozen orange juice concentrate, 6 ounces Aronia juice concentrate (not the honey mix) (25 brix), 1 pint lemon or orange sherbet. Combine all concentrates. Add ginger ale. Spoon sherbet into bowl. Serve immediately.

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Additional ideas: Mix a bit of Aronia concentrate in vanilla ice cream Make Aronia smoothies - use your imagination. Aronia bonds chemically to milk products.

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Mix a bit of Aronia concentrate into apple sauce.  Combine a bit of Aronia concentrate with apple juice, or any fruit juice blend that compliments cranberries well. I stirred up a 12 ounce frozen concentrate mix of Apple Raspberry and added some Aronia concentrate.

Aronia Cherry Crepe Syrup

1 cup Aronia berries 

1 cup tart cherries

Sugar

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Add Aronia berries and cherries to sauce pan and cook down while stirring over medium heat.  Add sugar to taste.

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Note:  Enjoy over cream cheese and crepes!

Aronia Berry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 small Spanish yellow onion, diced

1 small shallot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

24 ounces Stout beer (Guinness)

8 ounces Aronia Berries

¼ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon molasses

1/3 cup catsup

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

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Preheat canola oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion and shallot to the pot.  Sweat the onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.  Add the garlic to the post.  Stir.  Cook for another 60 seconds.  Add beer to simmer and reduce by half, about 15-25 minutes.  While the stout is reducing, place the Aronia berries, brown sugar and cider vinegar into a small saucepan.  Place over medium heat.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Cook over medium heat until the Aronia berries begin to break.  Remove from heat and set aside.

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Add the Aronia berry mixture and the rest of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce to the reduced stout.  Whisk.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

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Allow sauce to cool slightly then transfer to a blender.  Blend until very smooth.  Strain BBQ sauce through a fine mesh strainer.  Taste sauce and adjust seasonings as desired with kosher salt.

Aronia Berry Chipotle BBQ Sauce

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 small Spanish yellow onion, diced

1 small shallot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

24 ounces Stout beer (Guinness)

8 ounces Aronia Berries

¼ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 teaspoon molasses

1/3 cup catsup

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat canola oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes.  Once the oil is hot, add the onion and shallot to the pot.  Sweat the onions over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent.  Add the garlic to the post.  Stir.  Cook for another 60 seconds.  Add beer to simmer and reduce by half, about 15-25 minutes.  While the stout is reducing, place the Aronia berries, brown sugar and cider vinegar into a small saucepan.  Place over medium heat.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Cook over medium heat until the Aronia berries begin to break.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Add the Aronia berry mixture and the rest of the ingredients for the BBQ sauce to the reduced stout.  Whisk.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

Allow sauce to cool slightly then transfer to a blender.  Blend until very smooth.  Strain BBQ sauce through a fine mesh strainer.  Taste sauce and adjust seasonings as desired with kosher salt.

Barbeque Sauce

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 small red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped

½ cup bourbon

2 cups Aronia Berries

1/2 cup catsup

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon molasses

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just starting to brown, 2-4 minutes.  Add garlic and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Add bourbon, increase heat to high and bring to a boil; cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Stir in Aronia Berries, catsup, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses and allspice; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened for about 20 minutes.

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