Chokecherries have ripened on the farm! This is my first time as an adult working with them. I know as a child my parents made chokecherry syrup, but I wasn’t very old. I do remember eating them though! Something you don’t easily forget. If you have ever had chokecherries, you know what I am talking about. That tartness that dries your mouth. Chokecherries are for sure something that needs sugar to make them good so you can appreciate the flavor.
We went over to the main yard and picked with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. We picked quite a few and used the loader bucket to get some of the ones on the very top. I was surprised at just how tall the bushes can get. It was fun to do it together and you know what they say…” Many hands make for light work!”
With the chokecherries being picked I had an extra project for the week. To process chokecherries; first you boil/cook them in a little water to get them soft and easy to juice. Then you either run them through a food mill or a cheese cloth. My husband helped with this part, and we decided the food mill got the most juice out. You discard the pit and any skin that didn’t press through. After we were done with the processing, we got about 25 cups of juice, so I made both syrup and jam.
We started with making the jam because if you have ever made any jams or jellies you know that sometimes they don’t like to thicken right. I am happy to say that this time the result was a nice thick jam. Then we made some syrup too and had pancakes that night for supper! Our little girl ate it right up! Have you ever made or eaten chokecherry syrup or jam?
Thanks for reading! Have a great week. Check out more recipes and life on the farm on thefarmchicken.com.
– Mariah Nienhuis | TheFarmChicken
