Mulberry Recipes

It's mulberry harvest time again. Here a few recipes that I am planning to try out this year.

Sweet-Hot Mulberry Jam

Spicy jams are all the rage today, with one of them winning the Grand Prize at the 2003 Scovie Awards. The recipe below is great on biscuits, toast and pancakes, and you can even use it as a glaze on grilled meats or as a topping for vanilla ice cream.

• 3 cups mulberries
• 2 cups water
• 1 package powdered fruit pectin
• 1 tablespoon red chile powder
• 1 cup sugar (or more to taste)

Crush the berries thoroughly in a bowl and then transfer to a saucepan.. Add the water and fruit pectin. Stir until the pectin is dissolved. Add the chile powder and stir. Heat to boiling. Boil 5 to 10 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Boil 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until thick. Allow to cool, place in sterile jars, and refrigerate.

Yield: About 1 1/2 cups

Heat Scale: Medium

Grilled Lamb Chops with Mulberry Salsa

Here’s a spicy treat and a good way to use up excess mulberries. Any number of commercial rubs work well for the lamb chops, or you can simply use red chili powder or hot paprika for the rub. Think I may have to substitute pork chops for the lamb chops though..

• 4 thick lamb chops
• Commercial rub of choice
• 1 cup mulberries
• 1 cup diced melon, such a cantaloupe
• 2 serrano chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced cilantro

Place the lamb chops on a plate and sprinkle with the rub. Press the rub into the meat and let stand for 1/2 hour.

In a bowl, combine the mulberries, melon, chiles, red bell pepper, onion, lemon juice, oil, parsley, and cilantro and mix well. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Grill the lamb over a medium hot fire until done; medium rare approximately will take 5 to 6 minutes per side, depending on the heat of the fire and the distance the meat is from it. The internal temperature should be 150 degrees F.

Place the lamb on a plate and top with the salsa.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

Mulberry Jelly Recipe

• 1 1/2 pints mulberry juice
• 4 ounces of tapioca
• Sugar

Instructions

1. Extract the juice from the mulberries by placing them in a jar and bruising them with a wooden spoon; then place the jar--which must be covered--in a saucepan of boiling water.
2. Let the water boil until the juice flows freely from the mulberries; then strain them through a fine hair sieve.
3. Do not squeeze the mulberries, but let the juice drop slowly through.
4. Crush the tapioca so that no lumps remain. Then, pour the mulberry juice over it and let it stand all night.
5. Boil it until it is quite clear, stirring to keep it from burning, and add sugar to taste.
6. Pour into small molds which have been standing in cold water.
7. Serve with cream.