Updated: Oct 5, 2021
Preserving our harvested Aronia berry antioxidants and maximizing Aronia product shelf life is a huge concern at Iowa Native.
On the once-a-year Aronia berry harvest day, which in 2021 took place on Monday, August 25th, Iowa Native takes every precaution to preserve the precious anthocyanin and catechin antioxidants in every berry.
The countdown to antioxidant loss begins immediately after harvesting. Once the Aronia berries are harvested, the berries are driven to cold storage freezers, bagged in 5 lb bags and flash frozen - all within just a couple hours. The berries are completely frozen within 2 to 3 days. There is virtually no antioxidant loss.
Secondly, the frozen Aronia berries are dried with a unique natural drying process using low heat, thus retaining full phytonutrients. The berries, which have been dehydrated down to a 4:1 ratio, and which include the entire berry- including seeds and skin, are stored in dried unfinished form, rather than stored as a powder. The unfinished formed berries have at least a three year shelf life.
Thirdly, Iowa Native does not powder the dehydrated berries until mere days before packaging and shipping out. The finished, ready-to-package and ship shelf life of Aronia powder, which is now more exposed to air in particle form, is reduced to 12 months. Therefore, our customers receive the maximum shelf life of our shipped Iowa Native Aronia berry products, meaning minimal loss of antioxidant value, thereby guaranteeing maximum antioxidant potency.
With work values such as these, Iowa Native therefore guarantees maximum Aronia berry antioxidant value - for health, beauty, strength, disease avoidance and longevity - from Iowa's farm fields to customer home delivery in every one of our products.
TIP:
Be sure to seal the package properly after each use to keep the powder from clumping and to preserve the highest quality of nutrients. Store Iowa Native Aronia Berry 4:1 in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent clumping.