Mulberries

Seasons/Availability

Mulberries are available briefly during mid-summer.

Current Facts

The Mulberry is a member of Moraceae family and the Morus species. It is not actually a berry, but a collective fruit. There are over 150 different species of mulberries that produce red, white, pink and near black fruits.

Description/Taste

Mulberries have the immediate appearance of an elongated plump blackberry or a dark loganberry. Their similarities, however, are simply skin deep. Ripe mulberries are almost jet black in color with blushes of ruby. They are aromatic and literally sticky sweet, their coloring so deep and texture so fragile and syrupy in nature that it stains to the touch. They ripen exceedingly fast and should therefore be eaten almost immediately, if not the best modes of preservation are to dry, cook or freeze.

Applications

Mulberries are commonly used in ice cream, sorbet, jams, jellies, beverages, and especially pies. They can be used in any recipe calling for berries including salads, compotes, reductions, gastriques, purees and cocktails. Complimentary pairings include other bramble berries, stonefruit, young cheeses such as burrata and chevre, pork belly, bacon, herbs such as basil, mint and arugula, cream, mascarpone and citrus.

Geography/History

The earliest documentation of the Mulberry records them as native to China. Mulberries became naturalized in Europe centuries ago and eventually the tree was introduced into America during early colonial times. Today mulberries still grow in China as well as throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, Northern Africa and within limited regions of the United States.

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