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Edit: forgot to mention I'm in Oklahoma.

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Will It Brew? Mixed Mulberry Leaves (Morus spp)

Fresh vs. dried, an October experiment. This is another in my “Will It Brew?” series, exploring wild plants through the lens of tea, broth, and flavor. Thanks for following along!

Found

Northern Ohio USA, late October.

Most of the leaves are turning colors or falling now, but the little mulberry sprouts growing in the shade still have some healthy green leaves.

I have dozens of mulberry trees available to me, so gathering leaves is hardly a challenge. I take whichever healthy-looking leaves catch my eye, from whatever branches happen to be handy. At this time of year, that generally means the small, shaded growth.

ID Notes

Mulberry (Morus species) is a familiar tree around here, and its leaves can be surprisingly variable. Some are heart-shaped or oval, while others have several lobes, sometimes even on the same tree.

The leaves generally have toothed margins and prominent veins.

I'm using leaves from my local mulberries rather than selecting and documenting a single tree for this experiment, so I'm not claiming a particular species for every leaf in the pot.

Gathering

I choose healthy green leaves, avoiding the ones that are yellowing, damaged, or looking ready to fall.

In summer, there's no shortage. By late October, you may have to look a little harder. I find the best ones in shady spots where new growth has stayed green. Look for a mulberry stem shooting up in a wooded edge area, or a protected tree out of the frost. 

Drying

While I drink the tea of fresh leaves all season long, I also dry mulberry leaves for winter tea and store them in jars once they're completely dry. I've already put away more than half a gallon this year just by grabbing a few now and then all season long.  It's one of the pleasures of having so many mulberry trees that I can make a pot of tea, or gallons of iced tea, without worrying about the cost of every cup.

Preparation

For this experiment, I brewed two versions. Fresh, late-season green mulberry leaves, and mulberry leaves I'd dried earlier in the season. Both were prepared as ordinary hot infusions. 

Fresh I used about five leaves, a small handful for a large cup of tea. I tore the leaves and poured over just boiled water. It steeped for four minutes, and I added a tiny amount of stevia. 

Dried I used about two tablespoons of loosely crumbled leaves, poured over just boiling water, and steeped it five minutes. It also was sweetened with a tiny bit of stevia. 

Fresh Leaf Tea

The fresh leaves produced a clear, bright yellow-green tea. The flavor was mild and naturally a little sweet smelling, and there was a little fruitiness to the taste. Just a suggestion of pear, like the quiet flavor you notice when eating a perfectly ripe pear that isn't especially sweet. It is pleasant and delicate.

Dried Leaf Tea

The dried leaves made a slightly more muted, straw-colored infusion. The flavor was slightly different from the fresh tea.  Still mild and sweet smelling but it reminded me of sweet hay, in the best possible way. Like summer, dried. There's something comforting about that flavor, particularly when you're drinking it in autumn and know winter is coming. It's still mild, still unobtrusive, but genuinely pleasant. It would be easy to say this tea is boring, but it is really just pleasant and delicate. 

Flavor Notes

Fresh: Mild, softly fruity, with a suggestion of pear. Like a lightly fruity green tea. 

Dried: Gentle, sweet hay, warm and summery. Green tea adjacent. 

Neither is strongly flavored and for me, that’s part of the appeal. Mulberry leaf tea is not a tea that announces itself from across the room. You can enjoy it without thinking about it, but if you stop and pay attention, there's something mild and lovely there.

Cold Infusion: For fresh leaves, I start by pouring over boiling water and then after a bit of a steep, I add cold water and sweetener. For dried leaves I just let the dried leaves steep in cold water in the fridge overnight, then sweeten. It makes a mild tea my family enjoys. 

Blending

One of my favorite uses for mulberry is calming down more assertive teas. I don't particularly enjoy grape leaf tea by itself, but a tea that is half grape leaf and half mulberry, with a little lemon peel, makes a fresh summer drink.

Ginger can be aggressive on its own. But a little ginger peel with mulberry, a fraction of a cinnamon stick, and a black peppercorn? Very nice, especially in the colder months.

Mulberry gives these blends a mild foundation without competing with everything else. Somehow it holds it all together.  It's a supporting actor that makes the rest of the cast look good.

Verdict

Will it brew? Absolutely.

Best as: An everyday hot tea, an inexpensive-by-virtue-of-being-free iced tea, or a gentle base for other herbal blends.

Would I try it again? I drink it regularly and have half a gallon of dried leaves waiting for winter, so I think we've answered that question.

Flavor strength: Mild.

It tastes remarkably like inexpensive generic green tea. Specifically, the Walmart store-brand green tea bags. I realize this sounds like faint praise. It isn't meant to be. Sometimes I want a cup of tea that doesn't demand my attention. I'm reading a good book, dipping a crispy cookie into my cup, and I don't want a botanical fireworks display interrupting a particularly interesting chapter. Mulberry is excellent at being that tea. 

Mulberry leaf tea is the millennial greige of teas, and I mean that affectionately. It's not the belle of the ball, but a sturdy, agreeable, proficient dancing partner. It's pleasant company, doesn't demand much, and can happily dance all evening. Ok, I think I have tortured those examples enough, but I hope you get the idea. Mild, pleasant, plays well alone or with others. 

A Note on Safety

Mulberry leaves have a history of use as tea, particularly white mulberry (Morus alba) in East Asian traditions. My tea is made from a mixture of locally growing mulberries, rather than leaves collected exclusively from positively identified white mulberry trees. As with any foraged plant, positive identification matters, and the species and plant part should be checked before making an infusion. This is a description of my own preparations and tasting experiences, not a medicinal recommendation.

If you're looking for a fresh local tea before autumn finally closes the door, have a look at your mulberry trees. There may still be a few good green leaves waiting for you.

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