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Cecilia has fond memories of stained fingers and the smell of bubbling jam from summers spent picking mulberries with her Grandma at their family home in Southwest Detroit.
As a kid, I was oblivious to this delicious, free, and plentiful treat that grows in backyards, parks and along roadsides throughout Michigan. Here are some Mulberry Facts: Mulberries are delicate, which is why you are more likely to experience them dried or in jams, unless you eat them straight from the tree. Mulberry trees start to produce fruit 10 years after planting. The color of the fruit depends on the variety. It can be black, purple, pink, red or white. Mulberries are a rich source of vitamins C, A, E and K and minerals such as potassium, iron and magnesium. They also hold a high concentration of resveratrol, a type of polyphenol, which acts much like an antioxidant and therefore possesses a host of anti-inflammatory properties. Mulberry was associated with death in the west. This belief likely stems from ancient Christianity and the fact that Mulberry trees were used for coffin building as its wood is resistant to decay. In the east, the tree is associated with abundance. The Greeks viewed the tree as a symbol of wisdom and patience, and associated it with the goddess Athena. Native Americans used mulberry as laxative and as a cure for dysentery. Red mulberry can survive up to 75 years, while black mulberry can live and produce fruit for hundreds of years.
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