Chokeberry, called still aronia, is a branchy shrub not more than two and a half meters high with white or light pink inflorescences, which in September give fruits. Her berries have a unique composition, which is why it is used in folk medicine and cooking: for example, tincture of black chokeberry at home can be both refreshment and potion. This drink is prepared from ripened, prepared berries, and based on alcohol or quality vodka.
Chokeberry Ashberry: tincture on alcohol
As already mentioned, tincture can be used as a medicinal product, and in the form of alcoholic beverage. Especially useful to hypertensive people and people suffering from poor blood coagulability. To prepare this universal remedy you need berries that have reached the peak of maturation. This is important, since the fruit of the blackberry is not rich in juice, and in the immature it does not exist. For our recipe is enough 1 kilogram of berries. For a basis it is better to take a high-quality vodka, which is made from alcohol of the highest grade (enough 0.5 liters). You will also need 0.5 kg sugar, cherry leaves and cloves. Tincture of black chokeberry at home is prepared for a long time, although the process itself is quite simple. Most of the time, it's defending. So, washed and dried berries need to be folded into a pre-prepared (sterilized) bottle of 3-5 liters and carefully crush them, pouring a glass of water. The liquid is added to get the juice, and that the tincture itself is not too thick. Then add sugar and mix again. As a result, a homogeneous juicy mixture of beautiful color should be obtained. The neck of the bottle is tied with gauze, folded in 2-3 layers, left for two days at room temperature. The next step is the addition of vodka. After it is poured, the mixture must be thoroughly mixed to dissolve the remains of sugar, close the lid and insist 60 days in a dark place, such as a pantry or basement. After two months, the tincture of black chokeberry at home will be ready: this is evidenced by its color and consistency. It will be transparent, saturated in amber color. It is bottled and stored in a refrigerator.
Homemade wine from chokeberry
For lovers of less strong spirits there is an uncomplicated recipe for tasty and useful wine from black cherry. If you follow the technology of cooking and proportions with accuracy, then in a couple of months after the collection of ripened fruits you will please yourself and guests with a fragrant and pleasantly tasty drink. To make wine, you need 5 kg of berries.
It is important not to wash them before use, because on their peel there are bacteria that promote fermentation, and do not use metal containers. The berries must be hand-crushed thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained. For each kilogram of berries you need to add half a cup of sugar. For lovers of sweet wines, this is not the norm, that is, you can pour more. For a better fermentation in this mass, you can pour a handful of raisins. The whole composition is thoroughly mixed, we put it into 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 mash so that it does not become moldy. If the foam appears in the mixture when the hand is immersed, it's time to squeeze the juice. For this, the pulp is collected by hand and carefully squeezed. The cake is stacked separately, it is useful, and the resulting juice is filtered through a colander and poured into a five-liter bottle. Collected and wrung out the mash is mixed with sugar in a 1: 1 ratio, pressed with hands and left for fermentation for another 5-7 days, and then squeezed and drained. Thus, we have obtained two types of juice, which we mix, install a water trap on the bottle and leave it. Every 2 days you need to do the filtration: remove the formed foam and pour the drink into another container with a hose, without touching the sediment. When the tartar does not appear on the bottom, and the liquid itself becomes transparent - your wine is ready. It is bottled. Both wine and tincture of black chokeberry, at home stored in a cool place, such as a refrigerator or basement.