Silkworms Know Best (The Virtues of Mulberry)

 Dear Friends,

By the looks of our shoes (and fingers and faces), the mulberries are ripe for the picking! We've been excited to discover quite a few trees growing nearby, and have been taking advantage by picking as many as we can. Half of the fruit on a mature tree grows so far up that no one but the birds can reach it, so it ends up littering the ground and staining everything it comes in contact with a beautiful shade of blue-violet.

Mulberry fruit is a good source of resveratrol, the substance touted in the "French Paradox Diet" as so helpful for retaining good health~ "The berries contain resveratrol, another polyphenol flavonoid antioxidant. Resveratrol has been found to be protective against stroke risk by alteration of molecular mechanisms in blood vessels, reducing susceptibility to vascular damage through decreased activity of angiotensin (a systemic hormone causing blood vessel constriction that would elevate blood pressure) and increased production of the vasodilator hormone, nitric oxide." (Information from the Nutrition and You website).

Mulberries are also a great source of vitamin c, essential for maintaining immune function and happy teeth and gums. They supply 23% of the daily requirement for iron, which is essential for good blood and energy.

The medicine contained in mulberry leaves is even more exciting. Japanese researchers have discovered that they help to control blood sugar in rats, and help control the build-up of "bad" cholesterol in the arteries.

The Chinese have used them for centuries to prevent and treat diabetes, as well as for asthma and other respiratory complaints. The leaves can either be dried, then used as an infusion (herbal tea), or they can be made into a tincture by immersing them in vodka in an airtight container for a few weeks, then straining.

If you are blessed to have these wonderful (although invasive) trees near you, take advantage of their health-giving (and yummy) properties as a syrup for your pancakes, or maybe a mulberry shortcake (they're also great in smoothies).

(Here we're mixing mulberries with frozen rhubarb for a cool treat. We used powdered stevia as a sweetener, and added just enough water to get it moving in the blender. Yum!)

We'll leave you with some non-mulberry photos~ These are the blooms of last year's onions, which are quite tastefully in salads or omelettes, and of course have great antihistamine properties to combat congestion. Aren't they beautiful?

Do you have any stories to share about mulberries? We'd love to hear them!

Love,

Marqueta