By Greg Wagner
I picked and ate them as a kid. I pick and eat them as an adult. Mulberries—they’re ripe! However, what uses and value do they have besides just picking and eating them off the tree? Plenty!
Here are some examples.
Uses by Native Americans and Early Settlers
Mulberries were an important resource for both Native Americans and early European settlers, providing food, medicine and other things. Indigenous peoples used the red mulberry’s fruit, leaves, roots and wood. On the Great Plains, the Omaha tribe ate the red mulberry as a fresh fruit. European settlers also used the mulberry fruits to make pies and preserves. The trees were also important as a source of livestock feed and wood for furniture and boats.
Uses by Wildlife
Besides us humans, wildlife utilizes the mulberry tree as well. In Nebraska, the leaves and twigs provide browse for white-tailed deer. The leaves of the tree, particularly those of the white mulberry, are the main diet for the silk worm. In addition, the leaves provide larval food for two butterflies — mourning cloak and red admiral. An array of birds and small mammals eat the fruit of the mulberry. In fact, the mulberry is rated by the Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology as one of the top seven most-important plants for birds. Studies show the fox squirrel particularly likes the fruit of the mulberry.
Uses by Fish (and Anglers)
Fish eat ripe mulberries, too, especially channel catfish and common carp. Mulberries make for superb summer fishing bait, particularly where mulberry tree branches hang over the water of ponds, lakes, reservoirs and rivers. Some anglers tie and use mulberry flies to catch catfish and carp.
Uses of Fresh, Ripe Mulberries
You can consume fresh, ripe mulberries in so many ways. You can snatch them right off the tree and devour them, if you wish. They are tasty!
One cautionary note to pass along regarding the mulberry trees in your neighborhood or area. When talking with the landowner to get permission to pick mulberries from a given piece of property other than your own, make certain those trees have not been sprayed or treated with harmful chemicals or are not subject to a lot of vehicle exhaust fumes along roads.
Mulberries provide very tasty toppings for everything from ice cream to yogurt to breakfast cereals, too. The small, flavorful fruit of mulberries have been used for centuries in pies, cakes, pastries, jams, wines, teas, salads and syrups. Mulberries work well in almost any recipe that calls for blueberries or blackberries. You can mix them other berries in various fruit salads as well. Some folks add gooseberries and rhubarb to mulberry desserts to bring out the tartness of the fruit. Since they are not as sweet and tarter, they tend to do better in sweeter recipes, like jams, cakes, pies, scones, etc.
Storing or Preserving Mulberries
If you do plan to eat mulberries raw, keep in mind they have a very short life in the refrigerator, about 3 days (which is why you do not see them fresh in the store). So, don’t collect a bunch and then waste them. However, you can dehydrate mulberries in the sun; just make wild animals cannot get to them and bring them in at night, or put them in a dehydrator. Once they are fully dry, they will keep all year! Dried mulberries are a wonderful snack treat in the winter. Some folks even freeze their mulberries and blend them into smoothies later.
If you can keep your hands off them, mulberries will keep in the refrigerator, unwashed in a covered container for several days. Alternatively, freeze the berries for later use. Wash them and gently pat them dry, then pack them in freezer bags in a single layer. This will ensure that the berries remain separate once they are frozen. Frozen berries will store for several months.
Nutritional Value
What is truly fascinating though about mulberries is that they are not only quite palatable, but they are a highly nutritious food. They are chocked full of vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, iron, folate, riboflavin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. These berries are also a great source of dietary fiber and protein making them high-energy foods. Nutritionally, the mulberry is considered a “superfood” due to its high antioxidant, high-energy content and virtually nonexistent fat content.
Are you counting calories? There are 43 calories in 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of mulberries.
Mulberries also contain flavonoids and phyto-nutrients and are extremely high in anthocyanins that help to fight against cancer as well as reduce aging and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and bacterial infections. The berries also contain resveratrol, a powerful blood flow increasing antioxidant, which you have probably heard, promoted through the wine industry. Supposedly, rubbing the juice from mulberries all over your scalp can help make your hair roots stronger and promote hair growth. Nevertheless, don’t forget that mulberries are notorious for their stains. Interestingly, it has also been said that mulberries speed up the rate at which alcohol is digested into our bodies and gets rid of the alcohol more quickly than our bodies can on their own.
The leaves from the mulberry tree can be used for teas that supposedly help regulate blood sugar levels and assist in reducing the level of bad cholesterol in the body.
When it comes right down to it, eating seasonal mulberries offers the consumption of a product straight from nature that nourishes both bodies and relationships as well as a chance to build outdoor memories and create an appreciation for our natural world close to home.
Use of Wood for Smoking Meats
Even dead, the mulberry tree offers good use. It is an excellent wood for smoking meats. As long as it is dry, the density of mulberry wood allows it to burn longer than most other woods. It is similar to apple wood, making it a fine choice for smoking meats or firewood. It produces a sweet-smelling smoke while giving a tangy, sweet berry flavor to smoked meats.
Tips for Bulk Harvesting Mulberries
- Grab an old, clean, light-colored sheet from the closet.
- Spread it out under the mulberry tree.
- Shake the branches directly over the sheet. All of the ripe, best-tasting berries just fall off and onto your sheet! If you’re careful, you can also use a ladder to reach some of the higher branches.
- Gather the corners of the sheet and slide all the berries into the middle of it.
- Gently slide the pile of berries to the edge of the sheet and pour the berries into a large bowl or pail. Repeat the process going around the remainder of the tree.
- Sort and rinse your berries with cold water as you will get some small twigs and leaves in this process.
MULBERRY PIE RECIPE
1 double basic flaky crust
4 cups (2 lb.) mulberries
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Preheat oven to 400 F. Roll out bottom crust, press into pan and let chill in the refrigerator.
Clean berries and snip the stems. Mix with sugar ,flour and lemon juice. Let sit for 15 minutes. Pour berries into the bottom crust.
Roll out remaining pie crust and either lay on top, cutting to vent or use cookie cutters to make shapes and decorate the top.
Bake for 15 minutes and then turn oven down to 350 F. Bake for another half hour, rotating halfway through or until top is nicely golden.
Enjoy!