Before moving to this property, I had no idea what a mulberry was- except something that kids danced around in a nursery rhyme and a lyric in country song.
And then we moved to this property….and now I know what a mulberry is. Very well. Because we have SO MANY. I’m not sure how many mulberry trees we have, but it’s at least ten. And they are not small bushes- they are large trees. And they are just dripping with mulberries for about 3 weeks from May-June.
Now, mulberries are kinda tricky. They are a hearty berry, but they rot almost immediatly- like within 24 on the counter they will grow mold. So they are basically never sold in grocery stores or even at farmers markets. They are a pick and prepare fruit. The other thing about mulberries is that they have stems and a lot of tiny seeds- kind of like a strawberry, only bigger seeds!
I pick these things every year, and have so many I never know what to do with them all! However, I have found a pretty good way to use them up: mulberry lemonade popsicles. Um, YUM.
It’s quite a process to make them, but we stay stocked up all summer and even have enough to sell at a couple lemonade stands and even at the local 4th of July parade!
First, we pick the mulberries. They are very easy to pick by hand, but we have discovered that if we lay a tarp down under the tree and just shake the branches, all of the ripe berries come pouring down. Then I collect them all in buckets (or pots and pans) and take them inside to wash them.
The bugs LOVE these things.
Then, I throw them in a big pot on the stove with some added water, and let it simmer for an hour or so.
After that comes the worst part- straining the berries in cheese cloth. I don’t have any pictures of this because it takes two or more hands just to pour and strain without dropping anything or making a huge, huge mess. Once I have the berry concentrate, I switch to lemonade mode. Sometimes I’ll grab fresh lemons from the store and make a few batches with fresh lemons, but I also use a lemonade powder mix too. It’s way faster that way 😉
Finally, I pour the lemonade mix into popsicle bags and pop them in the freezer!
Yes, the labor is intensive. But it’s summer and in a world where everything is immediate gratification, sometimes it feels good to know that I spent a couple hours working on making popsicles- and they taste SO good.
Just in case you stumble upon a mulberry tree, or have one in your backyard (or know me and want to come pick your heart out on my trees!), here is the basic recipe that I use:
1 1/2 c of mulberry concentrate
1 c of sugar
2 lemons or lemonade mix for 2 quarts
Mix and drink straight as lemonade or pour into popsicle molds/bags and freeze!
What would you make with an excess of mulberries? I had a friend come over and pick some and she went home and made mulberry jam! I’ve also made a crisp with mulberries, and I think they would be pretty good with yogurt/granola. Oh, and I’ve dehydrated some before, but my family didn’t reach for them much.