Frozen aronia
A class ( 1 grade )
1/4 in diameter, the bluish-black fruit hang down in clusters of 10 or so from red pedicels.
They color in September, but aren't really noticed until the leaves change color and drop in the fall.
The glossy fruit will persist through January, but will begin to dry out at that point.
It derives the name chokeberry from the extremely astringent taste that birds supposedly won't tolerate,
but it can be quite a pleasant flavor with sweeteners. In fact, some companies like Wildland are now producing
Aronia berry juice for consumption.
Songbirds and upland gamebirds do enjoy the bitter fruit in winter months, as do many species of small mammals.
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