Mulberries, we have in the backyard, compliments of our large black mulberry tree. With it comes the mulberry mess. Well, you either frown or you make the best of the situation. In this case: mulberry sorbet.
It started as a sproutlet at the side of our house. I was unsure if it was actually a mulberry as there were 3 or 4 different types of leaves growing from the same plant. I thought it was, so transplanted it to a sunny location and waited 4 years until it started fruiting. It has been going strong ever since.
Black mulberry fruit, Toronto, Canada, are messy to pick but delicious. Photo 1 by Don Tai
Every year our black mulberry tree, of the genus family Moraceae, shoots out new branches, which bear fruit the next year. This tree is consistent, and the fruit is very good.
Chinese people have a connection to the mulberry tree. Long ago white mulberry leaves were fed to silkworms in order to produce silk. Therefore the mulberry plant was forbidden to export from China.
