Chokeberry, also called chokeberry, is a branched bush no more than two and a half meters tall with white or light pink inflorescences, which bear fruit in September. Its berries have a unique composition, which is why it is used in folk medicine and cooking: for example, tincture of aronia at home can be both a treat and a potion. This drink is made from ripened, trained berries, and alcohol or high-quality vodka is taken as the basis.
Chokeberry: tincture for alcohol
As already mentioned, tincture can be used as a medicinal product, or in the form of an alcoholic beverage. It is especially useful for hypertensive patients and people suffering from poor blood coagulation. To prepare this universal remedy, you need berries that have reached the peak of ripening. This is important, since the fruits of the black chokeberry are not rich in juice, and in the unripe ones it is not at all. For our recipe, 1 kilogram of berries is enough. The basis is better to take high-quality vodka, which is made from premium alcohol (0.5 liters is enough). You will also need 0.5 kg sugar, cherry leaves and cloves. Chokeberry tincture at home is prepared for a long time, although the process itself is quite simple.
Most of the time it takes to defend it. So, washed and dried berries must be put in a pre-prepared (sterilized) bottle of 3-5 liters and crushed thoroughly by pouring a glass of water. The liquid is added to obtain juice, and so that the tincture itself is not too thick. Then add sugar and mix again. The result should be a homogeneous, juicy mixture of a beautiful color. We tie the neck of the bottle with gauze folded in 2-3 layers, leave for two days at room temperature. The next step is the addition of vodka. After pouring it in, mix the mixture thoroughly to dissolve the remaining sugar, close the lid and insist 60 days in a dark place, such as a pantry or basement. Two months later, the
tincture of aronia at home will be ready: this is evidenced by its color and consistency. It will be transparent, saturated amber color. It is bottled and stored in the refrigerator.
Homemade Aronia Wine
For lovers of less strong alcoholic drinks, there is a simple recipe for tasty and healthy wine from chokeberry. If you accurately adhere to the cooking technology and proportions, then a couple of months after the collection of ripened fruits, you will delight yourself and guests with a fragrant and tasty drink. To make wine you will need 5 kg of berries.
It is important not to wash them before use, as there are bacteria on their skin that promote fermentation and not to use metal containers. Berries must be thoroughly kneaded by hands until a homogeneous mass is obtained. For every kilogram of berries you need to add half a glass of sugar. For lovers of sweet wines, this is not the norm, that is, you can pour more. For better fermentation, a handful of raisins can be added to this mass. We thoroughly mix the whole composition, put it in a 10-liter container with a wide neck, close it and leave it for 7-10 days in a warm place. All this time, once a day, you need to mix the pulp so that it does not become moldy. If foam appears when you immerse your hands in the mixture, it's time to squeeze the juice. For this, the pulp is collected by hand and squeezed carefully. The cake is folded separately, it is useful, and the resulting juice is filtered through a colander and poured into a five-liter bottle. The collected and squeezed pulp is mixed with sugar in a 1: 1 ratio, pressed by hand and left to ferment for another 5-7 days, and then squeezed and drained. Thus, we have got two types of juice, which we mix, install a water seal on the bottle and leave. Every 2 days you need to do the filtering: remove the foam and pour the drink into another container using a hose, without touching the sediment. When the
tartar does not appear at the bottom, and the liquid itself becomes transparent - your wine is ready. It is bottled. Both wine and tincture of chokeberry are stored at home in a cool place, such as a refrigerator or basement.