Just thought I would write a quick post so I don't forget how. I note that in my older, statinized, stage; I have lost some short term memory.
When I check to see if the blog is getting any action, one thing stands out.
I must keep writing about mulberries. Right now a part of the world is getting to eat mulberries. So they are trying to find more about the fruit, berries.
Are they making a comeback in areas that are economically suffering? Partly so.
Is it because some of us are getting older and thinking back? Partly.
Is it because the seasons are different in different parts of the world? Partly.
Maybe I will take a little time to do a little more research on the prolific berry producer. I have some recipes that are old using mulberries to replace blackberries.
That makes sense.
I do know that mulberry trees can sprout up all over the place when you allow one tree in the area. Not all the neighbors are thrilled either. The berries can leave a nice mess. The birds and wild critters that eat the berries leave a nice mess. Farmers around here like clean pastures and fence lines. Mulberry trees here can be about as prolific as the cedar or even lilacs in the fence rows. I do often wonder why we don't try to cultivate the mulberry tree as an orchard tree. Or maybe the scientific community can figure out a way to control the rapid spread of the tree.
(I also wonder though why the fence rows are getting cleaned out again. Trees were planted in fence rows to prevent soil loss during the dust bowl days.)
Of course, like many things scientific, you may not want them messing with another part of nature. Their record is not always that great. Fertilizer and weed control run-off into water supplies anyone?
But that could be another blog post yet.
Getting back to mulberries, it would be interesting research to investigate their food value. After a quick search, I found many things from natural food sites as well as much from Japan and India. The leaves are used too for the silkworm.
Here is a short, quick, list of the nutrients in a sort-of order for high count.
The sites normally list them as eaten raw.
Vitamin C
Vitamin K
Iron
minerals besides iron;
Riboflavin, Potassium, Magnesium
There is even a little protein. (maybe that is from the "worms" with which my dad scared us.)
However remember most of the calories come from sugars.
So there you are: the mulberry is good for you unless you have to watch your sugars.
PS. Don't ask me why sometimes I get paragraphs where I don't want them when writing these posts but they appear.
It is good to hear that others besides us are interested in mulberries. Our tree is very old and was... before lightening struck, a record size for these parts. Still, we don't get many berries because the birds clean them out as fast as they ripen. Thanks for researching their food value, always interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteps,
ReplyDeleteyour Picasa Albums are outstanding!!!
There are many food sources that go to waste here. I am guilty of some waste; this year no one has picked any of the grapes out there on the vine. Many years the garden produces and that is wasted, too much. I wonder at times how any one could go hungry in this country. I have a walnut tree out from loaded and the squirrels are carrying those away. I love English Walnuts. If the economy keeps going many of us will wish we had Mulberries or any other fruit tree for that matter. I don't remember if I have ever had anything made from mulberries, but I know I would like eating them (worms or not).
ReplyDeleteOh, just remembered; I have had trouble with blogger lately especially when pasting in quotes or parts from research. I think I should use word and then paste the whole thing into bloggers window. It was interesting that you had had trouble too.
ReplyDeleteHi Guys.
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting thing to see how the mulberry blogs get hit over and over.
Thomas, the garden waste conversation goes on here almost every year. Timing is everything and seems like the late summer is always hectic for us.
A friend and I, older and from poorer backgrounds, always say we don't want to go back to our good ol' days but can if we have to do so.
Pat, do you see the trees spreading all over like they do here?
They are considered a nuisance by many around here. We now have three producers and find the seedlings here and there, all from the first tree the birds planted for us.
Thomas,
I have had the trouble before about the extra line breaks even when I use the word processor then cut and paste.
Sometimes it is a problem and other times not at all.
So I just figure there is no way to control it and accept it.
I have had trouble posting lately too. Must have something to do with the last upgrades.
ReplyDeleteThe mulberry trees don't seem to spread here. I haven't seen any sprouting up at all. I know one thing, you can't plant anything else under or near them, they soon die out. The same with the walnut trees.
Yes, the walnut trees are like that. Especially to the tomato family.
ReplyDeleteStrange the birds don't seed your mulberries as they do here.