This sweet and nutrient rich fruit looks like a blackberry, however it is found growing on trees instead of bushes like its look-a-like and grows long with a more oval shape as opposed to the short circular shaped blackberry. As a young fruit mulberries start out green then turns red and then ripens to a deep purple or black color where it is no longer sour but sweet and is easily harvested from the tree with just a simple shake of the branches.
Mulberry beginning to ripe
Ripened mulberry
One of the best part of our backyard is this mulberry tree. Our girls love checking it everyday to see how many ripe ones they find. We purchased it as a very small tree maybe 5 years ago and after bearing no fruit for a couple of years, then 1 to 3 fruits for the last 3 years it finally was able to bear in abundance! There were at least one hundred mulberries on the tree this year! The girls were so excited to see all of the young green mulberries. These outdoor kids have always had a love for nature, but seeing them in awe over the phases of this fruit was precious. They saw, felt and tasted it in all of it's stages and learned patience and how one cannot rush perfection!
Benefits
Mulberries are high in nutrients and are an excellent source of protein, iron, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin K, calcium, antioxidants, potassium and magnesium. In addition to being highly nutritious it provides numerous benefits.
These are..
Enhances immunity
Improves blood circulation
Cures anemia
Improves digestion
Maintains heart health
Protects vision
Strengthens bone tissue
Promotes healthy skin and hair
Lowers cholesterol
Anti-inflammatory
Helps to prevent cold and flu
Aids in weight loss
Mulberries are a great snack option for children because of their high nutrient content. You can add them to their smoothies, muffins, cereals and on top of pancakes. Make jam or boil them in water, strain, then add lemon and maple sugar for a simple mulberry lemonade.