Mulberries make delightful jams and chutneys. Miriam shows you how.
You know mango chutney from India. It’s eaten well on samosas. But all manners of fruit can create a chutney, especially those fruits that don’t keep in the fridge.
Wherever you see several old mulberry trees standing together in the Middle East, you can be sure that they are descendants of trees once cultivated to provide fodder for silkworms. And although the leaves have medicinal properties that humans can also enjoy, we two-legged folks are more likely to feast on the fruit.
Chutney and jam are two easy ways to preserve mulberries for eating later. The season is short, just a few weeks at the end of April-beginning of May, so if a tree or two grows near you, now’s the time to go foraging.
This chutney is chunky in texture and a little sweeter than most.
Mulberry Chutney
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh, ripe mulberries
1 small onion
1 small green apple, grated with the peel on
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
Method:
1. Put the mulberries and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
2. Add all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
3. Allow the chutney to boil till it forms a thick jam, about 20 minutes. Stir often.
4. Pack the chutney into a glass jar. Allow to cool, covered. Refrigerate. Wait a week for the flavors to marry. Eat soon afterwards.
If you prefer to make jam, leave out the onion, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Add three leaves of fragrant, edible rose or lemon geranium for a real Middle-Eastern flavored jam.
Enjoy!
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Author: Miriam Kresh
Miriam Kresh is an American ex-pat living in Israel. Her love of Middle Eastern food evolved from close friendships with enthusiastic Moroccan, Tunisian and Turkish home cooks. She owns too many cookbooks and is always planning the next meal. Miriam can be reached at miriam (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
Oh Man! This was soooo yummy!!!! Great recipe! Had to just use white vinegar and lemon juice – also added some rosemary…can’t wait to serve it and then make more batches to give away : )
– Erika
Mulman, mulberry chutney goes well with a sharp cheese and some brown bread. Or on the side with chicken (or duck!)in orange sauce.
Looks great, but how do you eat it? Does it go well with something else?
We have an over-flow, I mean a serious bonanza of mulberries every year in the garden. They stick to and stain everything, but make a delightful treat when showering in our outdoor shower. The berries hang overhead. I'd soak them in salt and water first as they are filled with creatures, ants and fruit flies, some so small you can barely see. Nice to get a useful recipe. They are not so tasty to eat on their own. Very sweet but without the delightful tang of other berries, like raspberries.