By Katy Budge

All around the Mulberry Bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey stopped to pull up his sock,
Pop! goes the weasel.

I sang that song a lot as a kid, but it wasn’t until this year that I’d ever tasted a mulberry!

(Of course, I’ve never seen a monkey with socks on chasing a weasel, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Due to their very short shelf life of only a few days, mulberries aren’t a common sight on most grocery shelves. I got to finally experience these tasty fruits thanks to Jessica Newell of Pepper Creek Family Farm in Arroyo Grande, CA. She offers a variety of intriguing produce to her farmers’ market patrons — everything from basics such as green beans and all manner of onions, to more exotic treats such as guavas, and yellow tomatillos.

As for the mulberries, Newell grows both Pakistani and Persian varieties. She noted that the former is typically ready for harvest about May, and the latter around the end of July. “Birds and ants cause the biggest problems as far as pests, and heat can wipe out the Persians, as they are very delicate.” She added that “the Pakistanis are an easy harvest, but the Persians take a gentle hand and can be very messy.”

Given their growing timeframes, I tried the Pakistani first. It’s a long fruit, quite unlike anything edible I’d ever seen. It almost looked more like a past-its-prime flower on a Butterfly Bush. As for the flavor, it was remarkably subtle, and – again — unlike anything I’d ever tasted. It tasted like … well, a Pakistani mulberry.

Next up were the Persian, which I didn’t even recognize as mulberries on Newell’s market table. They looked more like blackberries. She described their taste as “very bold, sweet, and tart,” and I’d definitely agree. They were a bit blackberry-adjacent, but not as assertive.

I thought about muddling up some of both varieties for a cocktail, but I didn’t want to “waste” them on that application – and for me, that’s saying a lot! All the Pakistani mulberries and most of the Persian just got popped into my mouth, but the Persians also were delightful when gently crushed into plain Greek yoghurt and drizzled with just a bit of local honey.

As with most fruit, mulberries are a healthy addition to any diet. The “Eat Your Colors” mantra certainly applies, and they’re purportedly a good source of iron and vitamin C. Some studies have also shown them to lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and decrease cancer risk.

Truths about Mulberries

They’re called berries, and look like berries. But, technically and botanically speaking, mulberries aren’t berries. According to the Specialty Produce website, they’re “an aggregate of many tiny fruit clusters arranged around a central stem.” Also, they aren’t even related to berries at all, but are part of the fig family.

That makes some sense given that Newell explained “(Mulberries) are easy trees to grow, they just need to be watered consistently.”

Wait. What? Mulberries don’t grow on bushes?!

“No,” Newell said. “The song is a big fat lie — they’re huge trees!” I guess next she’s gonna tell me that monkeys don’t wear socks while they’re chasing weasels. Sigh.

(There are dozens of variations on the lyrics, btw. If you want to find out more than you ever thought possible about this little ditty, check out this info from the American Songwriter webpage!)