Ah, the mulberry, one of my favorite fruits. While this fruit tree can be found quite commonly in cities and the ripe fruit can be spotted from a distance (it's hard to miss the huge mound of rotting fruit that has already dropped from the tree), this is not a common fruit. Most people have heard of the mulberry, maybe they have tasted mulberry jam or have a tree they nosh on while doing yard work but you never see this delicious fruit in the stores. The reason is due in part to the high water content. When you pick mulberries, they need to be consumed within a couple of days or they will begin to mold and turn to mush. I prefer to freeze mine for later use after I've had my fill of fresh fruit. Typically I will measure out how many cups of mulberries I need for a jam recipe and freeze them together, or freeze them individually on a baking sheet and then toss them in bags for use in baked goods and smoothies.
So, what does this magical fruit look like and how can you find it?
Well, to begin with there are several different species of mulberry, the most common are the native red mulberry (Morus rubra) and the Asian white mulberry (Morus alba) - which has white fruit when fully mature. The red mulberry can reach heights of up to 70 feet if left unattended, while the Asian will only grow to between 30-70. While the red mulberry has been here all along, the white mulberry was imported in the 1880's in an effort to start up the silk industry. The silk worm only eats one thing and by now I'm sure you can guess what that is! Unfortunately, they found that unrolling the cocoons and spinning the silk was to labor intensive and the project was abandoned.
The leaves of both species are are oval, toothed and can be either lobed or unlobed - sort of like the leaves of the sassafras tree.
As the leaves begin to develop and emerge in the spring, both male and female flowers devolop. After fertilization of the female flower, a fruit begins to form. The fruit can be small or large, sometimes reaching a size of up to 1 1/2 inches!
The fruit will begin ripening around the Summer Soltice and only last for a few weeks, so the time to go out and collect it is NOW! I find the most effective way to collect the fruit is to lay down a sheet or tarp and shake the branches. Make sure to dress in clothes you don't mind getting dirty as you will soon be stained purple. No worries though, the juice washes off with just water.
If you don't have access to a mulberry tree in your yard, take a walk through your neighborhood - I'm sure you'll spot several. And, I bet the owner of that tree would be more than happy to let you come by and pick your fill. This is not a tree that is favored by landscapers and homeowners because of the purple mess it makes - but, if like me, you enjoy the fruit it makes quite the lovely addition to your yard, indeed.
If you are interested in tasting some mulberry jam, you can find me selling this and other yummy locally harvested jams and jellies at LEAF nights (Thursday night 5:30-8pm) on the front steps of the main branch of the Lakewood Public Library.
I'm also at spittleandlawngrass.blogspot.com
Happy Foraging!
