Making Chokecherry Syrup

Today I made several batches of chokecherry syrup.   The Good Lord gives us beautiful chokecherries to use, and this was a pretty good year for them.   We picked some ourselves, and a dear friend also gave us a couple of buckets of chokecherries, so we had plenty to work with.  We like this syrup over pancakes or waffles or French toast or ice cream.   The native Ojibwe here on the reservation like the syrup as a dip for Indian Fry Bread, which is really good.
     There are lots of methods and recipes out there, but this is the way I make it.   For every 4 1/2 cups of extracted juice, add 6 1/2 cups of sugar and 3 T. of lemon juice.  Yes, I know, it seems like a lot of sugar, but this IS syrup you know, and the chokecherries are really tart!   Everything is brought to a boil, then boiled for 2 minutes at a full rolling boil, then de-foamed, then put into jars and processed in a water bath for 10 minutes.  To extract the juice, simply cover washed chokecherries with water to barely cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.  From time to time mash then gently with a potato masher, but be gentle.  The seeds contain an arsenic compound if cracked and you don't want that!  It's pretty hard to actually crack the pits, though, so I wouldn't worry too much.  Then strain through either several layers of cheesecloth or a jelly bag.  I use a 600 micron mesh filter first, then a jelly bag.

Beautiful dark chokecherries.   The best syrup and jelly is made with really ripe, dark fruit. 

The juice and sugar is boiled and brought to a full rolling boil for 2 minutes while stirring constantly.

Take the pan off the heat, allow to cool for a few minutes for the foam to come to the top, and skim off this foam, which is basically minerals in the solution.  If you want really nice clear syrup, you must do this.

The hot syrup is ladled into hot jars. 

A jar of beautiful finished syrup!

At this time of year, my kitchen is usually a disaster with canning jars and pots and equipment all over the place.   I truly enjoy canning and preserving and putting up the bounty of our garden and what God provides in nature.  It is a lot of work to grow and process your own food, but at least I know what's in it!  Everything we eat is organic because we cannot use sprays of any kind because of our bees.  Our bees are part of our livelihood, and we certainly don't want to kill them by using chemical sprays around here.   During August and September I am so busy in the kitchen processing veggies and fruits and also making jams and jellies and syrups.   Next on the agenda of canning this week, is to do potatoes, and make chokecherry jelly and wild plum jelly, and some tiny dill pickles.    I also need to put lots of peas in the freezer.

Good thing I have a huge kitchen to hold all the jars and equipment!

Of course, after all the mess in my kitchen from canning, then we begin honey extraction - and that's a real mess!  In about a month, we will be extracting honey for the year and will have our annual "honey party".  We invite friends and neighbors and any interested folks to come and watch and help and visit and help themselves to a buffet which I always provide.   We sometimes have about 20 people in the kitchen, plus all the bee boxes, and there is still plenty of room.   This year I plan to have a crock pot full of a hamburger/baked bean hot dish, several salads, a crock pot of cheesy potatoes, some fruit, and a couple cakes.  We expect some students and a teacher from the tribal college to come out this year, too, as they have expressed an interest in learning about bees.  Next month my kitchen will take a beating, but isn't that what a working country kitchen is for, anyway??