Just across the street from our house is forest.. Along the edge there are berries called "choke cherries" that I pick when they turn dark burgundy.. They are rather sour to eat like that, but I can't resist eating them and getting a sour mouth.. I generally pick them (about one gallon), wash them, put them in a very large pot with just 3 cups of water, and cook them till they fall apart stirring often.. They have rather large pits which I get rid of by straining the mixture through a strainer with larger holes.. I now have the pulp and the juice that goes back into the pot to reduce somewhat.. I then add my sugar..... Tons of sugar.. Tons and tons of sugar till the mixture is acceptable and sweet.. I remove the pot and let it cool.. I put the mixture in jars and in the fridge.. The syrup is the most delicious thing on vanilla ice cream.. Mixed with either ginger ale or club soda.. On top of yogurt.. I can go on and on with what to do with the syrup, but it is good just plain with a spoon....... Has anyone else heard of Choke Cherries and what do you do with them ??? THE REST OF THE BERRIES WE LIKE WATCHING THE BEARS COME AROUND AND EAT THEM..
@Steve North "Has anyone else heard of Choke Cherries" Yes! My friend and co-worker Greg Sanchez, whose parents emigrated to New Mexico from Spain before the Depression, made the remark once to me that some fruit we were looking at reminded him of Choke cherries. I had never heard of them, and a number of berries unusual to my experience came to mind. The matter was not resolved until just now, when your OP title reminded me of them! An interesting fact I just read, below, quoted from here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prunus_virginiana "Chokecherry is toxic to horses, moose, cattle, goats, deer, and other animals with segmented stomachs (rumens), especially after the leaves have wilted (such as after a frost or after branches have been broken) because wilting releases cyanide and makes the plant sweet. About 10–20 lbs of foliage can be fatal."
We have chokecherries in our yard and on our land up north. We had several of them around home too. Mom would mix a small amount of chokecherries in with regular cherries, as we had a regular cherry tree too, when she was making cherry pie, and I would eat them from the tree as they were, as I do now from time to time. Unlike apple trees, which require more than one variety for the purpose of cross-pollination, cherry trees will bear fruit with only one tree, but my understanding is that having other cherry trees in the area serves to encourage bees to visit the area and pollinate the crops. That's why people growing apples will often have a crabapple tree, and I think that's why we had a couple of chokecherry trees.
Thanks Joe:... I have been picking berries from that bush for the past 10 years and they are definitely chokecherries.. I haven't been sick once because of them.. Besides I don't think the other berry grows up here..
"Has anyone else heard of Choke Cherries" I have never heard of them - they don't sound appetising do they
Patsy.. I have been eating chokecherries almost all my life whenever they are available and have NEVER been sick.. I love them cooked like I described and over ice-cream or as a syrup in a drink.. When eaten just plain, they are somewhat sour and it takes some getting used to, but there again, I love them just plain..
@Steve North Hi Steve, my post was a little cheeky as the name 'choke' berries gave me a giggle We don't have them in England as far as I know - but they agree with you and as long as they don't live up to their name keep chewing those berries
Patsy: that's OK because we don't all know everything about different things that grow in different countries.. Chokecherries are something that I make only every other year as it is a whole day just to get a large jar of the syrup.. I usually end up with 2 or 3 jars that are 2 liters each.. sounds like a lot but it doesn't last long in our house.. The berries are best when picked dark burgundy.. They are a bit sweeter when dark.. The berries will only be ready to pick in the fall, sometimes near the middle of September.. When I don't pick them, we like watching the bears come around and wipe the bush clean of berries.. This year there are millions of flowers on the bushes, enough for everyone.. Looks like a very good year for those berries..
THERE WILL BE NO CHOKECHERRIES THIS YEAR .... There were a few Black Bears that found the chokecherry bushes and they wiped the bushes clean of all berries.. These bushes were just across from our house.. Just on the other side of the road.. There were literally millions of dark berries and they are all gone now.. I was waiting for them to turn almost black before picking as that is when they are the sweetest.. Not that they are sweet to begin with, even ripe.. The bears beat me to them.. They even tried to climb up the bush, which is impossible, to get to the top ones which they managed to get.. To make a bad situation worse, they gave me a present... They dropped the biggest load of Bear Poop you ever saw just on top of my driveway.. Again, not just one bear, but two poop piles that are full of seeds.. They must of been eating those berries from somewhere else.. NO CHOKECHERRY SAUCE THIS YEAR ...
Joe.. Its not really the fact I won't be making some chokecherry syrup this year.. Or the fact the bears beat me to the berries.. Or the fact that I was outwitted by a few black bears.. Or the fact they must eat and berries are their primary food.. BUT THE 2 LOADS OF BEAR POOP IN MY DRIVEWAY GETS ME
I have heard of chokecherries, I don't know if they are in my home area or not, I will ask my mother. She will know. I know if they are around we never picked them. It's funny how different types of berries grow in different regions. Some areas have dew berries and gooseberries too. Since bears are opportunistic feeders, it doesn't surprise me they would pig out on chokecherries, much to your dismay..