What to do with mulberries?

[limcid]

I've got a huge mulberry tree in the backyard that I plan on removing (too big and close to the house). However, every year I get a big mess from all of the mulberries that fall off. I'm wondering if there's anything I can do with these?

Are they safe to eat? I was thinking of laying out some Tyvek paper (I happen to have a large roll of it) to catch the berries.

Preserves, jams, muffins, breads, juicing...?

 

[sking]

They maybe safe to eat but you might want to be cautious. See how they look. The Tyvek paper may be good. I would do some research on mulberry and see what you can come up with far as eating them.

 

[jennywren]

Google search for mulberry recipes. I saw tons. I have never cooked with them but they look an awful lot like raspberries and or blackberries. I doubt their would be so many recipes if they were not safe to eat. Just make sure they are actually mulberries. From the pictures I saw they look like they would be food fresh or eaten frozen.

 

[limcid]

Yeah, it seems that they're okay to eat. And it's definitely a mulberry tree. I hate to cut it down, but it's too big and too close to the house. We get too many tropical storms to continue taking the risk every hurricane season.

Maybe I can replant part of it somewhere else and really keep it cut back to control its size. This way I might still be able to get some mulberries for years to come.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

I would love to have a mulberry tree. What I have seen of the uses for it, you can pretty much use it just like a blackberry or raspberry. I bet it would make great juice, and easy cobbler, or just be delicious for breakfast with cereal and a little sweetener.
Actually, it is probably historical also. Silk worms live in mulberry trees, and the first ones were planted here around Jamestown, so the new colonials could raise silkworms, and sell the silk.

 

[limcid]

Yeah, they look like blackberries. There are so many of them when they start to fall that the back yard almost looks carpeted. You have to remove your shoes before coming into the house to avoid staining the floor.

Juicing, jams, and cobbler sound like great ideas.

Actually, it is probably historical also. Silk worms live in mulberry trees, and the first ones were planted here around Jamestown, so the new colonials could raise silkworms, and sell the silk.

That's interesting because I'm in Virginia! Anyway, it will definitely be history soon (before the hurricane season gets going). I can't risk another season with these trees so close to the house. I feel like my luck is running out. Last year, the neighbors tree fell. It will be a shame to finally find a use for the mulberries only to have the trees cut down.

 

[Happyflowerlady]

That is a shame to have to cut it down, especially as it has survived all of these years without injury from a hurricane. It would break my heart to cut down a fine tree like that. If you do keep it, and have too many berries, you can always give some to the food bank, or even just put an ad on Craigslist and let people come and gather them. They might even be happy to make you some jam or a pie in return for the berries..... I know I would definitely be happy to make that exchange if I were close to someone that had a mulberry tree.

 

[limcid]

Yeah, it is a shame, but the homes are close together and the tree is right on the rear property line. It's dropping berries on three different properties, unfortunately. The rear neighbor already paid to have the branches over his property removed. I really don't think it will survive another strong storm, and I can't risk it falling. If it falls it would likely land on someone's property. I would be liable because it's mostly on my property. So, I'll feel a lot better with it gone. Too bad you can't transplant large trees.