The Mulberries are making...

I know that winter is a time of rest and rebirth. I know it is a necessary part of Mother Nature's grand plan. But I sure do love the spring! Warmer weather, rain, flowers, and green everywhere. I am always especially happy to see the return of the many fruits and vegetables that grow in our neck of the woods, which includes our mulberry tree.

Mulberries are large, deciduous trees native to warm, temperate, and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Mulberries are native to the Morus genus of trees and while they can be found in many parts of the world nowadays, they originated in the Far East, traveling along the Silk Road from China to Turkey and points beyond.

Technically, the mulberry fruit is an aggregation of small fruits arranged longitudinally around the central axis as in a blackberry. Each fruit measures 2-5 cm long. In most species, these berries are purple-red when ripen; however, they can be white, red, or purple. Dried white mulberries are treasured for their unique flavor and texture, and for their antioxidant content. Beyond their sweet and delicate flavor, mulberries are an excellent source of nutrients including iron, calcium, vitamin C, protein and fiber. They also contain resveratrol, the anti-aging nutrient found in red wine.

It looks like we are in for a plentiful harvest this year. We get the ones we can reach and shake off the tree and our feathered friends in the neighborhood get the rest. Mulberries are a sweet little treat we enjoy fresh (especially in ice cream), in cobblers, pies, muffins and in smoothies. My grandma used to make mulberry jelly, maybe I will try making some jelly or jam this year. 

You're most likely to find mulberries in residential neighborhoods, parks, in fields, especially along the edges, open woods, and near fresh water. They grow throughout the country, ripening in late spring and early summer. You can spot ripe mulberries in season from a distance because the fruits make such a mess on the ground.

There are many ways to cook mulberries once you've eaten your fill of fresh fruit. Here are some recipes from around the web.

Mulberry Crumble Cake From THE WILD VEGAN COOKBOOK

 

 Mulberry Jam

Mulberry Pie

Mulberry Muffins

Use mulberries immediately. They won't last more than a couple of days in the refrigerator. They soon ferment or get moldy, probably because of their high water content and thin skins. This is why you rarely seem them in stores. Eat them, cook them, dry them, freeze them, just don't let them spoil.

And be careful of....