Magic of the Mulberry Bush
Magic of the Mulberry Bush.
The humble mulberry bush may not be everyone's head-turner. Being a common plant in most parts of the world, the mulberry is often under-appreciated and is treated as an unwanted tree in the garden. In parts of Asia, you can find this plant growing along the garden edge. Sometimes house-owners just cut off the plant without mercy. On trees that are lucky, the berries are left to ripe and later shrivel and drop dry. Birds and squirrels, however usually feast on the fruits on sunny mornings and evenings.
A Healthy Mulberry Bush on a Sunny Morning
Harvested Mulberries by a Mulberry Lover
If you plan to plant a mulberry plant choose a warm, well-drained soil setting. Mulberry plants are deciduous, grow well in loamy soils and thrive in warm temperature and subtropical regions of the world. Asia, Europe, Africa, America, you name it and mulberry is there to greet you!
People consume mulberries mainly as a last choice when compared to other fruits and berries available to them. Kids seem to have no interest in these humble berries. For them. strawberries are much more attractive! However, mulberry has more uses than is commonly believed.
The oval-shaped alternate leaves provides very good shade during hot days. People from Central and the Middle East, where the most delicious mulberries grow, love sitting under mulberry trees, enjoying their tea. In these areas, mulberries are also dried and eaten as tasty winter snacks. The red mulberry tree can grow up to 65 feet as compared to the Asian white mulberry which on average, reach up to 40 feet.
I personally like to call my mulberry plant as 'mulberry bush'. Since we prune the plant often, it is well managed, stays short and looks more like a bush than a tree. Another reason why I call my mulberry plant a bush is probably due to the nursery rhyme I enjoyed as a young girl. I usually stand under the mulberry bush in my father's garden on moonlit nights whispering my secret wishes to the lush bush. Imagine a little girl going round the mulberry bush reciting the ever favourite rhyme:
Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush...
I would probably remember this rhyme forever. Now, even after many years of writing, travelling and tasting the various mulberry fruit types in Europe, South America and Asia I still cherish my favourite mulberry bush that we grew when I was a young girl. The more recent hybridised versions which come with longer berries can never be a match to my good old mulberry bush!
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Mulberry Plant: Myth and Beauty
Many traditionalists consider the mulberry plant as a curse and symbol of deceit! The leaves of the plant is a source of food and nutrients to the silkworms. However, every piece of silk speaks of the tragic end of the silkworms which were fed with the luscious mulberry leaves. The Chinese and Thais use mulberry leaves, particularly the white mulberry variety to feed the silkworms for their silk industry. The silk industry is a profitable industry based on the 'silkworm and mulberry leaf affair'.
Mulberry leaves close-up
In German folklores, mulberry tree's root is said, of all things, used by the devil to polish his boots! For the ancient Greeks, lovers met under the mulberry tree as the final union of death. Of all cultures, the Japanese seem to have a high respect for the mulberry as they use the shreds of the wood in their shrines for worship purposes. Japanese mulberry wood is the world's most expensive wood and it used to make bowls, cabinets and other decorative items. Mulberry wood is also used to make high quality traditional Japanese tea sets. The Romans are said to have used the leaves of the mulberry plant to treat mouth, trachea and lung diseases.
In the rest of the world, many consider the mulberry plant as common except for its berries fit for the birds and squirrels. However, the scenario is changing recently. Thanks to the organic industry and health conscious consumers!
Benefits of mulberry
Mulberry is a storehouse of Vitamin C, iron, B complex vitamins, potassium and magnesium. Mulberries are also believed to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar. Mulberry is said to reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancer.
Fully ripe mulberry bruises and mushes easily. The best way to enjoy these berries is to eat them straight from the trees.
As a young girl, I believed in the mystical power of the full moon. Somehow, I got into the belief that the mulberry bush had wish-granting properties. On moonlit nights, I usually sneak into my father's garden, stand under his mulberry bush and make a secret wish! I had to stop the habit when someone informed my mom that the pollen from the mulberry plant may be causing her little girl's sudden sinus episodes!
Mulberry fruits ripe very fast. The berries darken into deep dark red, purplish and finally black in colour as they mature fully. Ripe mulberries are juicy and succulent.
Nowadays, I view our mulberry bush as a special plant that provides my family with mouth-watering, delicious jam. Jam-making is an art to be mastered. Enjoy experimenting with the ingredients until you succeed in producing the jam of your desired consistency!My Version of Mulberry Jam Recipe is very Easy.
Ingredients
Mulberry
Strawberry
Sugar
Green apple
Pinch of Salt
Jamun pulp (optional)
Lemon juice
Mulberry and Strawberry
Jamun (optional)
Green apple
You can also add other berries in season such as blackberries and raspberries to make your jam richer in colour and taste.
Raspberry (optional)
Blackberry (optional)
Method
1. Boil the mulberries (3 cups) and strawberries (2cups) in about 1 1/2 cups of water.
2. Add green apple slices (1)
3. Add jamun pulp (1 cup) optional
4. Cook in slow heat until the mixture turns soft.
5. Add sugar and continue stirring in low heat until the mixture turns into the desired jam consistency! The result is glorious... jam fit for a king!
Note: Jamun is a seasonal fruit. Once ripe, the jamun turns into a rich dark purple and is wonderful as pectin substitute. If you decide to add jamun into your mulberry jam be prepared to lose the traditional bright red colour of the jam. The purple in the jamun will turn your jam into a shade of lovely mauve.
My Speciality - Mulberry Jamun Jam
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Enjoy your mulberry jam with bread!
Bread with glorious mulberry jam. For breakfast, tea and even as late night supper.
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I use my mulberry jam to make chicken/egg sandwich. The taste is super delicious. The slightly sweet-sour flavour of the mulberry and jamun blends perfectly with my sourdough sandwich filled with salad, tomato, fennel fronds and egg. Bon appetite!
Sourdough egg and mulberry jam sandwich with tangy fennel fronds.
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Mulberry Jam for Lunch and Dinner as well...
Mulberry jam lasts for a long time in the fridge. This jam can also be added to grilled sweet-sour fish/prawn recipes for a sweet tangy taste. It can also be used in your Sunday roast and goes very well with rosemary. I use my mulberry jam to glaze my roast chicken as a substitute to honey. And on special days, I drip my lovely mulberry jam onto my ice cream and enjoy the treat without guilt. After all the jam is homemade and has no added preservatives!
Wondering what are these dishes?
This is my mulberry jam glazed grilled chicken with avocado, cheese and fries.
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