# Choke cherries



## Steve (Jul 14, 2015)

Does anyone have any idea what to do with tons of choke cherries???

What I usually do is simmer them in a huge pot for several hours..
Strain them to remove the seeds but keep the pulp..
Return to the pot and add a half ton of sugar to sweeten it up and thicken up the syrup..
Place the syrup in a container and refrigerate..

I then add the syrup to either ginger ale or club soda to make a wonderful drink..
I also add the syrup to vanilla ice cream as a topping..

I was just wondering if someone has an idea other than mine what to do with them....
Has anyone ever eaten choke cherries before?? They have a sort of tart taste and make your mouth thick.. Quite different but pleasant.....


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## AZ Jim (Jul 14, 2015)

Makes the best jelly in the world.  http://www.food.com/recipe/chokecherry-jelly-101749  I have a friend in South Dakota who makes it and sends it out here to us. WONDERFUL.


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## imp (Jul 14, 2015)

My friend in New Mexico, Greg Sanchez, spoke of them. He mentioned picking and eating them as a kid. I have never found out exactly what they are. We had wild cherries growing in MO, not edible though. The absolutely BEST wild fruits there were the Elderberries! By golly, I made some of the best-tasting, most refreshingly different wine out of them!  How we miss them! But not the great variety of biting, blood=sucking flies!    imp


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## Kadee (Jul 15, 2015)

Excuse me asking but what are choke cherries?


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## Steve (Jul 16, 2015)

Kaydee
Choke cherries are......................... well, ................................. choke cherries...

Did you google it?? Obviously not !!!!


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## Kadee (Jul 16, 2015)

No Steve I didn't ... I will now


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 16, 2015)

Here's some good info and recipes for chokecherries Steve.  http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/chokecherry-recipes-zmaz81jazraw.aspx?PageId=1


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## Kadee (Jul 16, 2015)

Oh looked them up Steve ...they look a little like our Lilly Pilly trees .. And according to google poisonous to dogs? 
I have never heard of them ......We are lucky to have this forum we can learn something new every day


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## SeaBreeze (Jul 16, 2015)

Kadee46 said:


> No Steve I didn't ... I will now



Kadee, here's a page with descriptive info.  https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/chokecherry.htm


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## Kadee (Jul 16, 2015)

SeaBreeze said:


> Kadee, here's a page with descriptive info.  https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/chokecherry.htm


Thank you


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## jujube (Jul 16, 2015)

We used to have gooseberry bushes when I was a kid.  My mom would make pies; talk about something that would make you pucker up.....


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## Steve (Jul 17, 2015)

Gooseberries will make you pucker-up .................. BUT ....... Nothing like chokecherries ...


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## Steve (Jul 18, 2015)

Thank-you everyone for the suggestions as what to do with the TONS of chokecherries that grow just in front of our house..

Another option we use is to leave them there and watch the black bears come and eat them..
Some birds also eat them but the bears give us a real show watching them....


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## Steve (Aug 7, 2015)

I checked on the chokecherries today and they are dark burgundy which means time to either pick them or leave them for the bears to eat..
Many many more to come that are still in the red stage..


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