What do I do with mulberries?

Last year, I noticed that a very-rapid-growing tree had sprung up in the yard, which was subsequently identified as a mulberry. Its bushiness and growth was getting out of hand so, several weeks ago, I had DH remove most of the lower branches so that we could walk around it.

Today, I noticed berries all along the remaining branches (we must have hacked too soon or else the poor thing is putting out berries in an attempt to save its life).

What does one DO with mulberries? Simply pick them when they are ripe? And then what? Is any preparation, besides washing, necessary before eating the fresh berries?

Has anyone used these in a pie or other recipe?

Jean

They are great just off the tree, I also make cobblers, pies and the best jelly you ever tasted.. Ours will be ready in about 2 weeks.. can't wait.

Larkie

I let the birds eat them! ;)

I just eat them off the tree. my sister is making a cobbler and some jam. I guess you can do the same witht them as you do with any fruit

ely

brandy or wine, or mulberry pie, just freeze them for winter use in pancakes, muffins, etc.

I needn't have worried what to do with the mulberries. They were delicious, eaten right off the tree.

Unfortunately, I got to eat only THREE mulberries. By the next day, those vulture-marauding-birds in the back yard had eaten every last berry, the pigs! I guess they like them too :D

I made some of the best jelly you ever tasted with some off a tree in our yard when i was 15. the first jelly and last jelly i ever made.

We have many Mulberry Trees growing in my area of Kentucky. In the 1800s the Shakers raised 'silk worms' for making silk; they used the leaves to feed the worms. I find that bit of history unteresting.
Growing up in South Carolina, I remember my father walking us to school the first day. We passed by a Mulberry tree and he stopped and said, "If I ever hear of you eating berries from that tree, I will whup you good." Green flies (carrion) lay their eggs in those berries! I think about him every time I see a Mulberry tree; I also think of where the green flies have been.
Gary/Louisville

Now THAT has put me off mulberries for a while! LOL. Fly eggs? The birds can HAVE the berries. But then again, those berries weren't on the tree long enough for anything to lay eggs on them. Those backyard-vulture-birds are always at work! :D

As an aside comment, for those who enjoy growing Paw Paw trees, they know that the tree blooms way before most anything else. The Bees and Butterflies are not out yet. So, the blossom emits an order similar to dead meat. This attracts the carrion green flies, fooling them into visiting the flower in search of food. Many growers retrieve "road kill" and hang in the trees for better germination of the flowers. I tried to give a friend several seedlings once and when I told her about the difficulty in germination and the remedy, she said, "I don't go there!" LOL Just Think How Wonderful Mother Nature Is In Adapting and Providing For Us All!
Gary/Louisville

Anyone have a photograph of their mulberry tree? I have something that has sprouted between some birch trees that my mom believes is a mulberry tree (either white or paper variety). Not much luck in google for this.

Morph, this is a picture of my mulberry (morus rubra). Sorry it is not very good, but I took the pic just now, and it is getting dark outside.

Also, I cut off all of the lower branches and hacked the living daylights out of the outward-spreading ones. It scares me how quickly this thing grows.

A week from now, those branches will be slapping us in the face again.

Here is a close-up of the leaves.

And here is a volunteer that has started to grow at the base of my untrimmed, winter-browned banana leaves.

sweetpea, I'd love to have that
tree in my yard, as a child my
grandmother had one and we eat
them all the time, yummmmmie...
I had not even thought about
them until I read your thread.
would love a seedling..

Deller, send me your address and I'll see what I can do.

Jean

Jean, thank you SO much for posting these pictures! I forgot to click watch this thread I think and just now found your update with photos. It's weird because this tree that my mom thinks is a mulberry tree has two different types of leaves on them. I'll try to get a photo or two to show you how weird it is.

Thanks again!

This is a picture of one of our mullberry trees. There are several different leaf shapes on different trees.

Picture of lower limb.

Trois, the picture of the lower limb nails it (I think)! I couldn't figure out why I had two distinctly different types of leaves on this tree. Half looked like the birch tree leaves in which this tree has grown and the other half of its leaves kind of look like a maple shaped leaves. Your tree is beautifule and I hope to transplant my apparent mulberry tree this fall once it sheds its leaves.

Thanks to everyone for your help. This was a really cool find!

They transplant easy.
Ours is still a young tree, not much of a trunk, but 25 feet tall after 6 years. We brought 3 when we moved here (from our previous yard) This one gets the most sun, one I mowed but it's coming back, the third is in a thicket with a lot of competition. You will love this tree.

Trois