The fruit of the mulberry tree is edible!

Most people find the mulberry tree, the female of the species, to be a real pain dropping fruit all over everything. The fruit is eaten by birds and ends up as purple splotches on the side of your home, on your white car, coating your fence and anything else the birds fly over.

Believe it or not, the mulberry fruit does have a use. In fact it has many uses. This fruit can be used like blackberries and turned into pies, jam, jelly, turnovers, and many other tasteful treats. When the juice is boiled down it makes a great cough syrup and ice cream topping. Ihe fruit is also full of healthful antioxidants. It should be collected for use and not despised as a nuisance.

One of my neighbors has a tarp stretched over the sidewalk beneath their mulberry tree. Are they harvesting the fruit to eat or just to prevent the mess of fruit on the sidewalk? I haven't asked them but since a bucket is arranged in such a manner that the fruit can be collected, I hope they are using the fruit as it should be used.