Aronia fruit is the focus of research being led by University of Maryland Extension.
Ever wondered what Aronia-flavored ice cream tastes like? Ever even heard of Aronia?
On Friday, August 31, patrons of the Maryland State Fair got a chance to sample Aronia ice cream at the Young Farmers’ Dairy Bar. Also known as Black Chokeberry, Aronia is a potent fruit packed with health-promoting antioxidants and for that reason, has been the focus of a University of Maryland Extension (UME) alternative sustainable crop program at the Wye Research and Education Center. The program is led by Dr. Andrew Ristvey, UME Specialist for Commercial Horticulture, and Sudeep Mathew, UME Agriculture Agent in Dorchester County.
Aronia is dark purple in color, about the size of a large blueberry and comes in clusters of ten to 20. Recent studies have shown the small fruit has a very high Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) compared to other foods.
For more information on UME’s Aronia research, go to www.Aronia4md.edu.
The Aronia ice cream served up at the state fair was produced by Kilby Cream of Cecil County, Md., with the fruit provided by the Mid-Atlantic Aronia Growers Association.
For more information, contact Sara Gavin at 301-405-9235 or sgavin@umd.edu.
