Discovering a new ingredient can make the world of difference to maintaining a healthy diet that’s also varied, fun, interesting and tasty. Could dried mulberries be your next favourite pantry staple?
What are dried mulberries?
Dried mulberries are readily available in the UK and offer a sweet and nutritious alternative to popular dried fruits. For example, they’re a great substitute for cranberries, blueberries and raisins.
The mulberry fruit is a relation of the fig, and in Asia and America they grow as voraciously as blackberries do within UK hedgerows. Whilst the mulberry tree does grow on UK shores, it’s the dried variety that’s most popular and readily available for snacks and baking.
What are the health benefits of dried mulberries?
Versatile and packed with naturally sweet, tasty goodness, these humble berries are full of healthy nutrients.1 This includes a range of powerful antioxidants, as well as vitamin C, potassium, iron and vitamins K and E. Together, all these vitamins and minerals contribute to healthy skin, bone health and supporting immunity.
Dried mulberries contain 70% carbs, 14% fibre, 12% protein, and 3% fat, making them fairly high in protein compared to most berries.2 Their fibre content means they’re also a good way to help maintain a healthy digestive system.
How to use dried mulberries
Incredibly versatile, this delicious dried fruit is ideal for a quick on-the-go treat, and excellent in a range of tasty recipes. Try them sprinkled on breakfast cereal or yoghurt. Maybe stir them into porridge or add them to granola. Or try them frozen in a sorbet, blended in smoothies or made into jam or mulberry crumble.
Five healthy dried mulberry recipes
Whether you’re a mulberry newcomer or a long-time lover of this sweet and tasty berry, here’s five of our favourite dried mulberry recipes.
- Mulberry and banana bread
A handful of chewy dried mulberries gives the humble banana bread a berry tasty twist. Swirl a generous portion of mulberries into the mix before baking. This adds an instant injection of zingy berry that contrasts with the smooth taste of banana.
If you’ve not yet had a go at creating your own banana bread, why not try our blueberry and banana loaf recipe, substituting the blueberries for mulberries. It’s gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan with no refined sugar.
- Mulberry and oat flapjack
The comfort food of our childhoods, flapjack is as simple to cook as it is to devour. Dried mulberries give an unexpected twist to this all-time favourite snack.
Enjoy making these oaty flapjacks in just over half an hour. Simply substitute the dried cranberries for dried mulberries. A delicious treat and gluten-free too.
- Mulberry sorbet
If zingy sorbets are your thing, take a look at this mulberry sorbet recipe from Hank Shaw of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook – champion of wild food. The addition of alcohol is optional.
- Mulberry and whatever-you-fancy smoothie
Simply add a handful of dried mulberries to your favourite smoothie recipe for an instant injection of superfood nutrition. Soaking your mulberries for a short while before adding them to the mix helps them blend more easily.
- Mulberry muffins
There’s something deliciously satisfying about tucking into a home-baked muffin that’s not only incredibly tasty, but healthy too. This mulberry muffin recipe from Home Sweet Jones is packed full of fruity goodness. With molasses and flour, it’s not gluten-free and not free of sugar. But there’s plenty of fruit and, of course, we know that a balanced diet means a little of everything is fine in moderation.
Summary: Ways to eat dried mulberries
Sweet, chewy and deliciously moreish, dried mulberries are versatile drops of tasty goodness. They’re as good for on-the-go snacking as they are for delicious baking. And there’s a host of mulberry recipes to enjoy. Rich in vitamins and minerals and powerful antioxidants, add these little gems of dried fruit goodness to your shopping list – they could become your next pantry favourite.
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Last updated: 7 September 2020
Sources
1 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/mulberries
2 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/mulberries#vitamins-and-minerals
