to deal with the most urgent question of the time:

How much is enough?

~Wendell Berry

but what we enjoy,

constitutes our abundance.

~Epicurus

We have an abundance of mulberries; small, dark, juicy and (until this season) a bit under-appreciated. I found the mulberry tree growing in the middle of my herb garden years ago, a gift [...]]]>

Not what we have

but what we enjoy,

constitutes our abundance.

~Epicurus

We have an abundance of mulberries; small, dark, juicy and (until this season) a bit under-appreciated. I found the mulberry tree growing in the middle of my herb garden years ago, a gift from the birds, so we transplanted it to one edge of the “children’s garden” for quick-growing shade. It’s been shedding berries there ever since.

The mulberries are of good quality, but I’ve never had a good use for them. Every season we leave them for a variety of frenzied birds to feast upon; evidence of their visits can be seen as far as a block away, splashed across car roofs and windows. Berries the birds don’t eat fall to the ground are gobbled up by squirrels, rabbits, neighborhood skunks and other critters. It keeps them from eating the vegetables and other berries in our gardens!

This year is different. The mulberries are ripening quickly and the birds have been feasting for a week. After snacking on a few juicy gems the other afternoon I decided to make something with some of our mulberry bounty. Something easy and healthy. Pie is delicious, but not very healthy and I’ll make plenty of other jams, so I chose to make a simple mulberry syrup similar to the elderflower and rose syrups I love.

Simple Mulberry Syrup

• Gather mulberries: I shook them from the branches onto the picnic cloth spread underneath the tree and quickly harvested enough to crush and strain for juice. I needed about five cups of fruit.
• Make mulberry juice: Crush the berries, add 1/4 c. of water and simmer on the stovetop until soft, then strain through cheesecloth (I used coffee filters and a colander) into a bowl.
• Make a simple syrup by bringing one part mulberry juice and one part honey (or use 1 1/2 parts organic sugar) to a boil and allowing it to boil for one minute. Take it off the stove, cool completely and store in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator. (I use a glass cruet.)

Fast, easy, fresh and healthy! It’s refreshing stirred into hot and iced tea, sparkling water or plain iced water. It’s also yummy as a sweetener in fresh-squeezed lemonade and I’ve even added a splash to home made herbal vinaigrette… delicious! I’ve finally learned to appreciate the abundant fruit produced on our tree. Too many mulberries? No such thing!

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