Читать книгу The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles. Learn How To Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods онлайн

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• The outer bark of a young mulberry tree typically has a yellow to orange tint to it. The young bark of an older tree as seen through fissures of its older, outer bark may be yellow; the heartwood is greenish-yellow to orange; the root bark is orange.

• Every mulberry leaf is simple as opposed to compound, and serrated instead of smooth edged. The leaves may be lobed or unlobed, and one often sees a variety of lobed shapes on a single tree. The leaves can be very glossy.

EDIBLE PARTS & PREPARATION:

Eat ripe fruit raw, make it into ice cream, bake it in a cobbler, or turn it into taffy. Juice the mulberries to make a drink. Here’s a simple how-to link for making a drink: www.phamfatale.com/id_1724/title_Mulberry-Juice/

Making mulberry taffy with family or friends is a memorable activity. (See recipe, page 153.)

WHEN TO HARVEST:

Late spring to early summer, depending on location. (In parts of Florida, mulberries ripen in February.)

Only one ripe fruit here, the dark one. Unripe fruit can cause gastrointestinal problems, so leave the red ones to ripen longer. Generally speaking, ripe fruit will feel soft and juicy, and will stain your hands when picked.