What’s the Different Between Mulberry and Blackberry?

Although most of us are acquainted with blackberries, we may only be familiar with mulberries because of the nursery rhyme about a Mulberry Bush, a monkey, and a weasel.

If you’ve never seen a mulberry, you’d be astonished at how similar they are to blackberries. In fact, at first look, they are almost indistinguishable. Although they are separate fruits with quite different tastes, it would be impossible to discern the difference between a pile of the two.

Although they may seem identical, these two fruits have extremely distinct flavors. Mulberries have a much more vegetal taste than blackberries, which are sweet with a jammy, peppery flavor. They have some sweetness and a flowery flavor, but even when completely ripe, they taste green and grassy.

One of the most significant distinctions between mulberry and blackberry plants is where they are cultivated. Mulberries grow on trees, while blackberries grow on bushes or brambles, and this is the most noticeable difference between the two fruits apart from their overall tastes.

In this essay, we will compare and contrast the major differences between a mulberry and a blackberry, focusing on where they are similar and where they vary.

What are blackberries?

Blackberry is a fruit that, contrary to popular belief, is not a true berry but rather an aggregate fruit. Instead of a single fruit pod, there are several tiny fruit pods attached to a central stalk. This makes sense if you’ve ever eaten a blackberry since the core of the berry is somewhat woody and rougher than the fruit pods themselves.

Where do blackberries grow?

One of the primary distinctions between a blackberry and a mulberry is that blackberries grow on a blackberry bush. Blackberry plants, like other berries such as grapes, may form a bramble or be cultivated on a trellis system. They are a perennial shrub that will provide fruit year after year; but, if you are a gardener, you will notice that yard visitors like as deer or squirrels will often steal your crop before you have a chance to taste it.

Blackberry bushes cultivated in canes will generate big stalks that will get heavy and fall over. When the cane meets the earth, a new blackberry plant will grow and get linked to the ground. This is how the blackberry bramble grows, and you may speed up the process at home by burying offshoots of the blackberry bush halfway down the branch to help develop new plants faster.

Blackberry Season and Availability.

When ripe, it becomes black. Blackberries mature in North America from June to August, depending on location. These delectable fruits begin as green buds and gradually develop crimson before transforming into a rich purple.

Blackberries are available across the United States, and many blackberry producers provide pick-your-own blackberries throughout the season.

Blackberry flavor and appearance.

Blackberries resemble a little cartoon grenade or a cluster of small black orbs around a center point. They’re roughly the size of a soda cap and have a deep sweet taste with pepper and violet undertones. The size of blackberry fruits varies, but they are typically 1 inch long and 1 inch in diameter.

Blackberry fruit changes color during its life cycle, starting as a green under-ripe fruit and growing to red, then dark purple, nearly black.

Blackberries are particularly delicate, prone to bruising or crushing, since they are an aggregation fruit made of several tiny fruit balls encircling a stem. They have a limited shelf life of 3-6 days and should be stored in the refrigerator.

Blackberry fruits have a sweet and tart taste that complements citrus and sugar, as well as other berries such as raspberries and strawberries. Blackberry fruits are delicious in both sweet and savory dishes; one of my favorite ways to utilize blackberries is in a savory sauce for pan-roasted duck breast!

Cooking with Blackberries

Blackberry fruits are wonderful in a variety of recipes and cuisines. They’re very good in baking and pastry dishes like blackberry pie, blackberry cobbler, and blackberry jam.

Blackberry fruit also pairs nicely with other berries; I prefer to combine it with raspberries since they are in season at the same time and taste great together. When blackberries are in season in the summer, I like to buy flats of them at my local farmers market and create jams and jellies to give as presents over the holidays.

When blackberries are in season, blackberry pancakes are another fantastic way to utilize them. Just drop a few blackberries into the pancake batter while it cooks, then flip to caramelize and cook the berries completely.

What are mulberries?

Mulberry fruits are not exactly berries, but rather a group of fruits shaped like a blackberry. Mulberries are members of the mora family of deciduous plants, which originated in Asia. Mulberry trees can be found all throughout the globe, however they are less prevalent in North America, with certain localized exceptions.

When mulberry fruit is underripe, it ranges in color from dark purple to red and white. Mulberries may be used at any stage of development, and white mulberries are wonderful in a vinegary fast pickle as an addition to salads or grain bowls. Mulberries are significantly longer and sometimes reach 2 inches or more in length, whilst blackberries are squatter and generally about an inch in length. Mulberries, like blackberries, have a limited shelf life once ripe and will go bad in 3-5 days even if refrigerated.

All around the Mulberry Tree?

Although the popular nursery rhyme suggests that mulberries grow on a bush, mulberries really grow on a mora family deciduous tree. Mulberry trees develop quickly and typically in less than ten years. Mulberry fruits are a delicious delicacy and a great advantage of having a mulberry tree nearby, however these trees release a lot of pollen and are thought to be a major cause to seasonal allergies.

The silkworm’s primary food source is the leaves of white mulberry bushes. This is also why there is a high concentration of mulberry trees across the mid-Atlantic, particularly in Virginia, since the silk trade had a significant influence on Colonial Virginia. Mulberry trees may be used to manufacture paper in addition to their fruit and leaves, and the thinnest paper in the world is made in Japan from mulberry stems.

What does mulberry fruit taste like?

Although mulberry fruits resemble blackberries in appearance, they have a distinct taste. While mulberries are sweet, their taste is considerably grassier and more vegetable-like than blackberries. They may be used in jams or baked products, but they need considerably more sugar to become edible than blackberries, and they have a woodier center stem that does not break down as well as blackberries. I prefer to combine mulberry fruits with other berries, especially blackberries, for a double dose of berry taste.

Mulberry fruit may be utilized in teas due to its anti-oxidant effects, and its pigments can be used as culinary coloring or clothes dye. Mulberry trees were traditionally harvested for their leaves, particularly in their native Asian nations.

Health Benefits of Mulberry Fruits

Although mulberries may not be as sweet as blackberries, they have a variety of health advantages that make them an excellent complement to any balanced diet. From potentially decreasing cholesterol to preventing fatty liver disease and improving blood sugar management. Lastly, mulberries include antioxidants that aid in the reduction of oxidative stress and may assist to prevent some forms of cancer.

Mulberries vs Blackberries Final Thoughts.

Although mulberries and blackberries seem to be extremely similar, they are in fact very different fruits with distinct taste profiles and culinary applications. Below are some comparisons and contrasts between the two.

Similarities between Blackberries vs Mulberries:

• When mature, both are edible fruits that are modest in size and dark purple in color.
• These fruits are strong in antioxidants and offer a variety of health advantages when consumed.
• Mulberry and blackberry fruits are not officially termed berries, but rather collective or aggregation fruits.
• Mulberries and blackberries both grow naturally, but they are also farmed domestically.

Differences between Blackberry vs Mulberry:

• Blackberry is a shrub that develops as a perennial plant.
• Mulberries grow on a deciduous tree with several applications.
• Blackberries have a sweet and tart taste and a high sugar content.
• Mulberries have a less sweet flavor and a more vegetable-like flavor than blackberries.
• A mulberry tree may be utilized for a variety of purposes other than fruit production, but a blackberry bush’s main function is to produce tasty berries.