We have five Mulberry trees on the farm.

Who doesn’t love-making memories or recounting old ones? This past weekend 200 people came to our farm to enjoy family and friends. Dale and I had harvested mulberries the day they got here. Buckets and buckets  were waiting to be processed in my kitchen. My first thought was, I need to get this cleared out of here before all our company comes. But then they arrived before I could get to them and the mulberries became the focus of the night.

Many older people who strolled through the kitchen  mentioned the memories of seeing piles of harvest in their grandparents kitchens when they were growing up. They would bring the younger people aside and tell tales of their families mulberry picking and how incredulous it was! Even people who had no memories of mulberries were mesmerized by the mountains of produce in our kitchen. It must be something innate in mankind to feel the pleasure of a bountiful harvest.  I processed the mulberries that night and many who came through said they would never forget the wonderful memory made in our kitchen.

Mulberries are rather mild in flavor, but chock full of nutrients. God planted our Mulberry trees Himself, He knew we would need them. I’ve put up three bushels so far and we’ve only harvested for 2 days! That’s almost 30 gallons! Thank You Lord, You are our Provider!

Ideas for Mulberries:

1. Make a mulberry pie. Find your favorite blackberry pie recipe and substitute mulberries for the blackberries. Just remember–they’re not as sweet.

2. Make a mulberry cobbler. 1 cup of baking flour (I use Pamela’s baking mix it’s gluten free. You can use self rising flour), 1 cup organic sugar, 3/4 cup milk (I use raw), 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 stick of butter. Melt butter in bottom of baking dish. Mix flour, sugar, milk and vanilla together then spread on top of melted butter. Mix 2 cups of mulberries in 1/3 cup of sugar- heat to melt sugar.  Pour on top of flour mixture in baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes in 375 oven–or until done (won’t wiggle when you shake it). Serve with homemade ice cream! Eat on front porch with family and friends. This is truly delicious!

Mulberry Cobbler- I ran out of organic sugar so I used 1/2 organic brown sugar in this cobbler- hence the darker color

3. Make mulberry pancakes. Use my pancake recipe, add mulberries to the mix and top with whipped cream and berries on top.YUMMMMY !

4. Make mulberry smoothie. 1 cup of yogurt, 1/3 cup crushed or juiced mulberries, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 tsps. raw honey and 1/2 tsps. organic vanilla- you can add nuts or flax seeds if you eat with a spoon.

5. Make oatmeal with mulberries. After my oatmeal is ready I add butter, honey, raw milk and a handful of frozen mulberries to the top. YUM!

6. Make mulberry granola.  4 cups walnuts, ½  teaspoon celtic sea salt, ½ cup water, 4  dates pitted and chopped, 5 dried apricots  chopped, ½ cup dried mulberries, 1 teaspoon cinnamon

7. Make your favorite salad and pour fresh or dehydrated mulberries on top.

Dehydrating mulberries in dehydrator

8. Make homemade mulberry ice cream. I use 4 cups of raw milk, 1 cup organic sugar, 5 organic and free range egg yolks and 2 tsps. vanilla. Mix all and let sit in fridge for an hour or so. Pour into ice cream maker–use your directions for how long to process. Mine takes 25 minutes. In the last five minutes I add 1/2 cup of crushed mulberries. When I serve the ice cream I add more berries to top!

9. Mulberry Sorbet

Mulberry Sorbert- Super Hero Food

10. Make mulberry muffins. Use your favorite recipe and substitute mulberries for any fruit called for in recipe.

Unripe Mulberries

Make sure you don’t use the unripe ones, unless of course you’re in need of a laxative! After you harvest mulberries they deteriorate quickly. They’ll stay good for a couple of days, they keep longer in the fridge.

“Mulberries are very high in antioxidants, which help the body cleanse damaged cells which lead to many complications. They also contain large amounts of vitamin C as well as Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, really high levels of Iron, and Dietary Fiber which all help to give the body and mind incredible energy to live happy and healthy lives! They are also high in minerals like potassium, manganese, and magnesium and contain the B vitamins, B6, Niacin, Riboflavin, and Folic Acid.

Mulberries contain flavinoids and phyto-nutrients and are extremely high in anthocyanins which help to fight against cancer as well as reduce aging and neurological diseases, inflammation, diabetes, and bacterial infections. The berries also contain resveratrol, a powerful blood flow increasing antioxidant which you have probably heard promoted through the wine industry as their new claim to fame. Resveratrol is a powerful healer for many conditions such as aging diseases, inflammation, and a number one go to as part of an herbal protocol for the treatment of lymes disease.” Nutrition facts from www.ReturntoNature.us.

The Mulberry tree is directly behind everyone

Dale harvested 30 gallons of mulberries in two days! 4 hours of labor. There’s a ton left to harvest! He puts a sheet on the ground below the branches and then shakes the branches. The ripe ones gently fall onto the sheet. Easier than picking blackberries amongst thorns and poison ivy!

Mulberries make a great all natural dye for clothes and fingernails!

Mulberry smoothie! Homemade plain yogurt, raw honey, mulberries and a little organic vanilla-YUM! We eat them on our salads too! Dehydrate, freeze or can the berries for preservation!

And He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Luke 10:2

Every time we have a bountiful harvest, I think of that verse and it convicts me of God’s harvest!  People are ripe for hearing the Good News of Jesus, we just need to do it! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him, Shall not perish- but have eternal life.” John 3:16