Organic Dried Aronia Berries

History

Aronia berries originated in North-East America and Eastern Canada before spreading all over the world. According to numerous sources, Aronia was first imported from North America to the Old Continent at the beginning of the 19th century, in the Russian Botanical Gardens. In the 20th century Aronia berries became popular in the Soviet Union and in different parts of Europe, where the plant was, and still is, grown both for its ornamental value and as food. Through its ability to adapt, which allows it to survive even in difficult conditions, it began to be grown over thousands of hectares, particularly in areas which typically have an extremely harsh climate.  

The Aronia belongs to the Rosaceae family, genus Aronia. The plant is a deciduous shrub that can reach a height of 2-3 m, and it is also used in landscaping thanks to the contrast between its red leaves and dark berries during the autumn, and its light-coloured flowers in the spring. 

The leaves are smooth, with a serrated edge, and have a bright green colour during the spring, which fades into purple and red and becomes orange during autumn. They have an elliptical or oblong shape, 2.5 to 7 cm long. With the passing of the seasons, these shrubs become of an intense bright green. Starting from the third year of life, it starts blooming for a period of about 10 days in the spring. During this period, the plant develops small cream-coloured flowers, with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm, formed by five petals and arranged in clusters. The main pollinators are bees, but even the wind can contribute to pollination. Between the middle and the end of summer, the fruit begins to form, darkening as it matures until it turns into black-violet. The fruits are pome fruits with a roundish shape and are about the size of a pea. These berries are covered with wax, harvested in bunches, have a strong bittersweet taste, are rather juicy, and wrinkle as they ripen. The flesh is of an intense purple, containing one to five small seeds. 

Aronia berries have been grown in most eastern European countries since the 1950s. Large-scale cultivation began in the Soviet Union, at the end of the 1940s, in order to have a food product that would be a source of vitamin C internally produced for the State, increasing, by 1984, the production area to approximately 18,000 hectares. According to the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Warsaw, in 2004 in Poland there were approximately 4,500 hectares planted with Aronia, while the following year the number grew to about 5,000 hectares. Since 2010, in Poland, the production area has remained constant in size, mainly because the variability of purchase prices has discouraged any expansion in farming. Apart from this, according to the industry, Polish production still accounts for 90% of world production. 

Source: 

Nutspaper, 4/2018 

Properties

According to our analyses, 100g of organic dried Aronia berries contain: 

• Copper (0.17 mg - 17% of NRV)  
• Vitamin A (145 µg - 18% of NRV)  
• Phosphorus (157 mg - 22% of NRV)  
• Magnesium (92.6 mg - 25% of NRV)  
• Calcium (223 mg - 28% of NRV)  
• Vitamin E (3.6 mg - 30% of NRV)  
• Vitamin K (30 µg - 40% of NRV)  
• Potassium (1251 mg - 63% of NRV)  
• Manganese (3.9 mg - 195% of NRV)  
• Fibre (20 g) 

Dose recommendations

Each 1kg pack of organic dried Aronia berries contains about 32 portions of 30 g that provide: 

- 60% of the Nutrient Reference Value of Manganese; 
- 19% of the Nutrient Reference Value of Potassium. 
 
Individual needs will vary according to age, gender, weight and physical activity. A varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are the basis of your well-being. 

Affordable price

Affordable price means to us offering our clients organic dried Aronia berries with no added sugar - containing natural sugar - that everybody can enjoy. 
We want, on the one hand, to place the proper value on raw materials in order to obtain a quality product by paying our farmers a fair price; on the other hand we want to fulfil your needs when it comes to pricing. 

We establish fair long-term relationships with our producers to avoid race-to-the-bottom pricing and that are based on trust as part of our efforts to offer you the finest and most natural product. 

Not only that: by choosing large packs of organic dried Aronia berries, you are also contributing to the reduction in the use of plastic. 

Storage

You can store organic dried Aronia berries in cool, dry places away from sources of heat and moisture. Here are 4 useful tips: 

• The best way to store organic dried Aronia berries is in a refrigerated environment. Nuturally organic dried Aronia berries can also be stored at room temperature during the winter season due to low temperatures. During summer, however, it is advisable to store the product in the refrigerator or in the coolest possible environment as increased temperatures could encourage decay. 
• The ideal container for the storage of organic dried Aronia berries is glass. Indeed, because of its composition it is impervious to chemical agents and gases, and, as it has excellent insulation properties, it holds the initial temperature for longer than other materials. It is even better if the glass is coloured: using coloured glass blocks the entry of certain wavelengths of light (including ultraviolet), and thus certain nutritional and organoleptic characteristics remain unaltered.  
• The type of closure of the container is also important as an airtight cap ensures that the food is protected from excessive contact with oxygen, that is fundamental for aerobic bacteria. 
• The best kind of storage environment is one which is well ventilated because ventilating the premises keeps internal humidity under control, which otherwise could escape from windows, thereby guaranteeing the right balance to lessen the onset of mould.