What dried mulberries taste like
Dried mulberries are chewy, sweet, and a little earthy. White mulberries, which are the type most often sold dried, taste mild and honey-like, sometimes described with a hint of vanilla. Black and red mulberries are tarter and more intensely fruity. The texture sits somewhere between a raisin and a dried fig, with small crunchy seeds. They are naturally sweet, so many recipes need less added sugar.
If you dry your own
Fresh mulberries are fragile and perishable, so many people dry a harvest. Rinse gently, remove stems if you can, spread berries in a single layer, and dry at about 135°F, the temperature the National Center for Home Food Preservation lists for fruit, until they are leathery and no juice squeezes out when you cut one. This can take many hours. Large berries dry faster if you halve them. Cool, then condition and store in airtight jars as you would other dried fruit. See our dehydrated or freeze dried page if you are choosing a method.
Easy ways to use them
You can swap dried mulberries for raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates in most recipes. Quick ideas that need no real recipe:
- Stir into oatmeal, yogurt, or porridge.
- Add to trail mix with nuts, seeds, and coconut flakes.
- Fold into granola, muffins, pancakes, or scones.
- Sprinkle on salads, especially with goat cheese and nuts.
- Simmer in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes for a sweet, fruity tea.
- Process into a coarse crumble as a topping for ice cream or “nice cream.”
Recipe: mulberry oat cookies
This is a simple, adaptable cookie in the style of a classic oatmeal-raisin cookie. Quantities make about 24 to 30 small cookies.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted or browned and cooled slightly
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup flour (whole wheat pastry or all-purpose)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup dried mulberries
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Whisk the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.
- Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt, and spice, then fold in the oats and mulberries.
- Drop spoonfuls onto the sheets and bake about 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and golden.
- Cool on the pan for a few minutes before moving.
If your mulberries are very dry or large, soaking them in hot water for 10 minutes and draining makes them more tender, or chop them smaller.
Trail mix with mulberries
Combine equal parts dried mulberries, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, and unsweetened coconut flakes. Add a small amount of hemp seeds or dark chocolate if you like. Store in an airtight container, and see how to store nuts long term to keep the nuts from going rancid.
More baking ideas
- Tea loaf. Soak dried mulberries, raisins, and other dried fruit in strong black tea overnight, then fold them into a lightly sweetened loaf batter flavored with orange zest and spice. The soaked fruit keeps the crumb moist.
- Mulberry brittle. One recipe grinds dried white mulberries into small pieces and bakes them with maple syrup and coconut sugar to make a brittle without nuts. Grinding the berries first matters because whole berries are too chewy and release too little sweetness.
- Bars and energy balls. Blend dried mulberries with dates and oats for no-bake snacks.
What are the little worms in mulberries?
Fresh mulberries are sometimes infested with small insect larvae, often fruit fly larvae, particularly in ripe, soft, or damaged fruit. They are typically not harmful in the way spoiled meat is, but most people do not want to eat them. To reduce the problem, inspect berries, discard any that are mushy or that look damaged, and soak fresh berries briefly in cool salted water, which often brings larvae to the surface. Then rinse well. Do not dry fruit that is moldy or visibly infested. Commercially dried mulberries are usually cleaned before packaging, but check the bag.
Are dried mulberries good for you?
Dried mulberries contain fiber, some minerals, and natural fruit sugar, and they are often sold as a snack with antioxidants. Like all dried fruit, they are concentrated: a small handful has more sugar and calories than the same weight of fresh berries, and it is easy to eat a lot. Some store-bought products are also coated with added sugar. Check the label, and keep the portion in mind. If you have a medical condition such as diabetes, ask your healthcare provider how dried fruit fits your diet. Unripe mulberries and the green parts of the plant can cause stomach upset, so use only fully ripe fruit.
For a savory, plant-based take on dried foods, see our dehydrated vegan recipes.