There are a couple of famous Mulberry Streets. There’s Mulberry Street in New York City, famous for its historical significance as the heart of Little Italy and its connection to Italian-American culture. There’s a Mulberry Street that’s known as the inspiration for Dr. Seuss’s first book, “And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.” (The actual street in Springfield, MA, is just off Maple Street and not far from the downtown section of the city.)
But what exactly is a mulberry? There are actually 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing both wild and under cultivation in many temperate regions. The three most common are known as white, red and black, but these colors named their buds, not their berries.
The U.S. has native red mulberries as well as imported black and white mulberries. However, in North America, the white mulberry is considered an invasive exotic – but that doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of the fruit the trees bear.
Raw mulberries are 88% water, 10% carbohydrates, 1% protein and less than 1% fat. They are good sources of vitamin C and iron. The fruits resemble blackberries and can be both a little sweet and a little tart, sometimes with a hint of vanilla.
It’s very easy to find the ripe berries, as they will very easily come off their stems on the tree. Be forewarned, however, that they will turn your fingers purple!
This recipe for mulberry cake from Allrecipes was super easy to make with my mulberry harvest. I highly recommend you try some this summer!
Mulberry Cake
Cake:
½ cup milk
½ cup white sugar
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups mulberries
Crumb topping:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
3 tablespoons butter
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
Beat milk, ½ cup white sugar, egg and oil in a bowl. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt; mix until smooth. Pour into baking pan; sprinkle with mulberries.
Mix ¾ cup flour, brown sugar and ¼ cup white sugar in a bowl; cut in butter and stir until mixture resembles crumbs, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle over cake.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
