The Delicious Wild Mulberry

Karl V. Anton, Jr., Publisher, Anton Community Newspapers, 1984-2000

See You Around The Town

Patty Servidio

purple and off-white fruits, and we would continue our walk. By the time we got home, her lips, cheeks and hands were stained with a brilliant violet hue. As she got older, we began to walk together up to Birchwood Park Drive, where we found a tree in the neighborhood park. We would eat our fill and head over to the playground for some fun on the slide. Carefree days, indeed. And so, the mulberry picking tradition began. Each June, we would walk up to the park or drive over to that Syosset neighborhood to pick from the bushes behind the fence along the Northern State. One year, our daughter had the brilliant idea that she wanted to pick while sitting on the roof of my husband’s Ford Explorer. The vehicle had a sunroof, out of which she deftly climbed. We picked four Tupperware containers filled with fruit, which were gone within a week’s time.

Over time, my daughter and I found several different areas where those deliciously sweet kernels of summer grew wild. We would pick enough berries to fill our plastic buckets, but most of the time was spent filling our cheeks with the syrupy goodness. We always knew the drupelets had ripened by the purple stains of bird droppings in the neighborhood.

Several years ago, I created a mulberry jelly that I shared with a neighbor. It was scrumptious and didn’t last very long in the fridge, not because it went bad but because it tasted so good. It found its way to homemade scones, toast and even a sneaky spoonful or two (using clean utensils each time, of course!). We have looked forward to berry picking almost as much as we look forward to the beginning of beach weather.

For those who enjoy interesting facts as much as Sheldon Lee Cooper of “The Big Bang Theory”, mulberries grow on the Morus tree, which is a flowering plant. The three best known fruit colors are Morus alba (white), Morus rubra (red) and Morus nigra (the black or deep purple mulberry). Silkworms love to make their homes in white mulberry trees. Mulberries are not related to raspberries or blackberries, but are more closely related to jackfruit and figs. These little powerhouses are high in Vitamin C; a little over three ounces of fruit is about 43 calories and has about 14% of the Daily Value for iron. They can be used to create pies, tarts, wines, cordials, and even herbal teas. When our daughter moved out, my husband and I asked her one Father’s Day if she would care to join us at a new site that we had found for berry picking. She agreed, and we each filled a large Tupperware container with the fruit in less than thirty minutes. Bees didn’t deter us from foraging those delicious treats. The new tradition of taking photographs of our stained hands and shoes as proof that we had enjoyed the task of berry picking together as a family became one that we enjoyed, especially as we scrubbed our hands with wet wipes before re-entering our vehicle.

We are expecting heavy rains and wind over the next week, which has made me incredibly anxious about our 2023 harvest. Our daughter agreed to accompany us to a few sites when her school year is out. In case the wind blows down much of the fruit from the trees, it’s my intention to head over to Birchwood Park to fill another Tupperware with fruit and take a picture of my stained fingers. I’ll pick fruit again with our daughter if the trees still hold berries. The photo is important, as it will live on long after the deliciousness of the berries has faded into memory. Happy Summer and Happy Mulberry Season!