Tag Archives: Fogle40

More Excited Than Ever!

March 9, 2014 Peggy

Woody and I recently returned from the 2014 Midwest Aronia Association Conference. We were thrilled to meet other growers of this super fruit and learn more about its cultivation and potential.

We know we are on the right path when we heard business folks and physicians talk about the health potential of these powerful purple super berries.

Understanding Antioxidants & ORAC values

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 and wellness related issues. Consuming foods high in antioxidants like the Aroniaberry may help support the body’s defense against these radicals.

Antioxidant levels in foods are measured by a test called ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity ). Scientists have found that antioxidants increase our bodies natural defense systems. The higher the ORAC, the higher the antioxidant activity. (Wu, Beecher et al. 2004) The graph shows the ORAC levels (expressed as µmol Trolox Equivalents per 100 g fresh fruit of a variety of different fruits, including Aroniaberries. USDA 2010).

We all know how they have promoted blueberries and how good they are for you. Well, our little berries score almost twice as good on the ORAC scale. It’s exciting…the big challenge is educating people that aronia berries are becoming available, how healthy they are, and how to use them. Because for those of you who have tried them, they aren’t as sweet as a blueberry or strawberry, they have a little more of the tart tannin flavor. But they can be wonderful too. Check out some of the recipes and look for food products at Hy-Vee.

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Aronia Recipies

August 23, 2013 Peggy

We are asked quite often, especially now that we have berries, “What do you do with them?”

Some of our favorite things are:

Banana Aronia Bread

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Shortening

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Aronia Berries

2 Cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

4 Mashed Bananas

1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix ingredients together. Bake in greased loaf pan (or make into muffins). Bread bakes 1 hour at 325.

We even have a special “granddaughter” who won a blue ribbon with this recipie at the Warren County Fair.

Oatmeal Aronia Drop Cookies

2 Cups Oatmeal

2 Cups Flour

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 Cup melted shortening

1 Cup Aronia Berries

1 tsp Baking Soda dissolved in 4 Tbsp Milk

2 Eggs

Mix dry ingredients. To the dry ingredients add the shortening, eggs, and soda/milk mixture. Mix well. Fold in berries. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes.

This recipe makes dark kind of ugly cookies but wow they taste extraordinary, our son loves them!

All Fruit Smoothie

1/4 Cup Orange Juice

1 Cup Peaches, Drained

2 Medium Bananas, in chunks

1/2 Cup Frozen Aronia Berries

Put ingredients in a blender in this order. Blend until the drink is smooth. Delicious!

Also try adding to your salads, favorite smoothies, vinaigrette dressings, pancakes, marinades, BBQs, soups, lemonade, ice tea, or make a syrupy icing and use over cakes. Be creative, there are many uses for this healthy, versatile little purple gem.

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Our Final Field #4

August 21, 2013 Peggy

We worked all year long it seemed to get to the point last fall where we were ready to add our final three acres. We cleared a field that had been alfalfa at one time, but you’d never know it in the last 15 years since we’ve owned it. It was full of Cedar trees, wild roses, scrub trees, raspberry bushes, brush and grass. But with a lot of hard work and the help of rented equipment it is now probably our best aronia berry field.

In September 2012 we planted 1,800 aronia berry bushes (Viking variety) with the help of our church’s ASP (Appalachian Service Project) volunteers. We couldn’t have done it in half a day without their tremendous help. We would have killed ourselves trying to do it! We had the holes drilled with the help of a Dingo, and the planting went smoothly. Of course, it was still the drought year so we watered and watered after planting the bushes. We watered with two lawn tractors and tanks. It took us eight hours watering together to get through the field. We kept it up and kept it up until it finally rained and cooled down. Thank goodness we have a pond nearby to draw from and the Honda pump could fill up the tanks and keep us on the move. Talk about loving up on those little plants, when spring 2013 came, we lost fewer than a dozen! We were thankful and amazed. They truly are hardy plants. Although, the soil in this field is the best on our whole property, we are expecting this field to be our best producer in the long run.

This year we have continued to water, fertilize with fish emulsion and Chickity Doo Doo mow, mow, mow and pull weeds. We are thankful too for the electric fencing! We didn’t have to replant hardly any and think it has really helped. Although we do fix it a lot! Those deer are stubborn.