Is It Safe To Eat Mulberries?

Written by Courtney in Food

Yes! You can eat mulberries. Just make sure they are ripe because eating under riped mulberries can result in puking and diarrhea.
We now know that we can in fact eat mulberries but how do we know we found a mulberry tree?

Mulberry Identification

 How do you know what a mulberry looks like?
A red mulberry will look like this.
Now there’s of mulberries but the red mulberry is the most common. As you can see from the picture the mulberry will start out white and as it ripens it will turn red and when it is black with a hint of red it is ready to eat.
The red mulberry tree can reach 65 feet high and has a reddish-brown bark.
The mulberry tree leaves look like this.

Are there similar berries that are toxic?

As I was researching to make sure that mulberries are safe I came across one berry that looks similar. The poke Weed Now you don’t have to panic if you happen to consume one because they are not poisonous per se. But if you have more then a couple you might start to experience nausea, vomiting and severe diarrhea. People have actually used part of the plant in herbal medicines to induce vomiting.

So as you can see you probably want to stay away from eating pokeweed berries. But how will you know what the difference is between pokeweed and a mulberry?

Well…

pokeweed is a bush type plant Vs. mulberries grow on trees.

Pokeweed will get to about 5 feet Vs. the mulberry tree at 65 feet.

Pokeweed leaves will be about twice the size of a mulberry tree leaf.

Here is a picture of a pokeweed plant.

What is a mulberry?

A mulberry is a fruit that is large and juicy and resembles a raspberry. A mulberry is filled with nutrients that our bodies need. These include…

  1. Iron
  2. Riboflavin
  3. Vitamin C
  4. Vitamin K
  5. Potassium
  6. Phosphorous
  7. Calcium
  8. Fiber

Berry Cobbler

Ingredients

Topping

  • 3/4 cup  all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold, cut into small pieces

Filling

  • 12 oz (2 1/2 cups) fresh raspberries
  • 12 oz ( 2 1/2 cups) fresh mulberries 
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray or butter a 9×9 baking dish.

  2. For the topping: In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt.

  3. Add butter (Work in the cold butter with your hands. You don’t want to use melted butter ), until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer to refrigerator.

  4. For the filling: Rinse berries and let drain. Transfer to baking dish.

  5. In a small dish mix together sugar and cornstarch. Pour cornstarch mixture evenly over berries then toss to evenly coat.

  6. Remove crumble from refrigerator and sprinkle evenly over berries.

  7. Bake until filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown and crisp, about 30 – 35 minutes.

Mulberry Jam

Makes 8 pints

Ingredients

  • 6 C. Crushed Mulberries
  • 4 C. Granulated Sugar
  • 1 C. Lemon Juice
  • 6 T. Ball Low Sugar Pectin

Directions

  1. Sanitize jars and lids
  2. Mix mulberries & lemon juice in a sauce pan
  3. Whisk in pectin
  4. Bring milx to a rapid boil
  5. Add in sugar (stir to dissolve)
  6. Bring back to a rapid boil
  7. Boil 2 minutes
  8. Remove from heat
  9. Put into sanitized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace
  10. Clean rims
  11. Apply lids and bands
  12. Process in a water canner for 10 minutes
  13. Keep in canner for 5 minutes
  14. Remove jars
  15. place on the counter on a towel for 24 hours until completly cooled
  16. Store in a cool dark place

Other mulberry uses

I wanted to share a few other ways to use mulberries.

  1. Smoothies
  2. In plain yogurt
  3. In cereal
  4. On ice cream

Courtney

I'm Courtney! I love working with my hands and creating. Whether that is in the kitchen, out in my garden or with my animals. My desire is to do as many things for myself and my family that I can. If you want to know more about me and the things I am working on, please check out my full about me page!

Recent Posts