Mulberries are great. They are one of the rare soft berry fruits that can tolerate the hot West Australian climate. The tree is also relatively pest free, and for some strange reason the birds don’t seem to go for the berries! Maybe they know something we don’t?
Foraging is also great, for obvious reasons. The food is freely gathered and there is no maintenance, no watering involved and no pruning. Just adventure and harvesting! Of the many reasons why foraging rules, I love the one Adam Grubb came up with in “The weed foragers handbook” (an essential guide and a must have!). He says we all have a ‘foraging instinct’ as a result of our long evolutionary history and that it is better to satisfy it by looking for food, instead of scouring record stores looking for obscure Jazz records.
This particular session went down around November of 2012 at a not so secret spot in Bunbury. I went down two or three times to get some berries. It was really cool, every time I went down there, some local crew would be there picking away. We would just be picking away and shooting the breeze, sharing recipes and plans... My original plan was to make a big batch of wine (that is coming soon readers!). They have just been sitting in the freezer for months. We just had dinner party and I was thinking of a nice dessert to make, mmmmulberry tart popped into mind. I’ve never made anything of the sort but found a great recipe here (http://cindyjespinoza.blogspot.com.au/2010/05/moms-mulberry-tart-recipe.html)... It went down a treat with some custard, I tried to make some syrup out of some leftover mulberry juice too, that ended up as toffee though.
I encourage you all to get out and have a scout around for some wild and semi-wild goodies, it is always an adventure!
p.s. Some cities have maps available that show fruit trees that can be foraged. If anyone lives in Melbourne I know of an avocado tree that grows over the beer garden of a certain pub in Fitzroy, on Fitzroy st in fact! Beers and avocados! Fuck yes...
http://feralfruitmelbourne.wordpress.com/76-2/
The specimen, loaded with the little buggers...
The biggest load I got, and just a sample from one of two trees!
A batch getting ready for the freezer...
Transformed into goodness
Shot of the innards...
The judges were tough, but the decision was unanimous... Good shit!
NOTE: Stained faces for days!
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