Recipe: Mulberry Yogurt Custard

Mulberries: Food For Thought

The Mulberry: a much-maligned fruit. Its tree has a reputation for being messy and unwelcome. Kids love it. Most adults hate it. Truth be told, I have been among its biggest detractors. However, lately I've noticed that some people over the age of ten actually eat mulberries and seem to enjoy doing so.

This shocked me.

It rocked my world.

Could I have been wrong about them? Do the cloying sweetness and undetachable stems mask culinary gems? I really want to like mulberries; they are cheap as free if you have a mulberry tree in your backyard like we do. Add a big dose of fiber and nutrients, plus easy picking, and you seem to have a winner. The only thing holding me back so far has been the flavor. I'm just not a big fan. Someone said they are better cooked? I had my doubts...

Blurry mulberries. Note all the stems.

But the allure of free food won out.

So, the other day I set out with a bucket and collected a few cups of purplish-black ripe mulberries with the help of my two-year-old son. (He for one is not shy about his love of mulberries.) Then I scoured the internet for several minutes in search of interesting yet easy recipes that wouldn't involve a ton of added sugar. I settled on a variation on this blueberry yogurt pie, eliminating the crust and reducing the sugar. Without further ado, The Recipe:

Mulberry Yogurt Custard

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 dash cinnamon
• 2 cups ripe mulberries, washed and drained

All the ingredients, or so I thought.

Almost forgot my Watkins cinnamon!

Instructions

Mix together all ingredients except for mulberries.

Just add whisk!

Line one pie pan or several oven-safe ramekins with mulberries.

Pour mixture over the mulberries so that they are coated and almost covered.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until custard is set. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving. 

I think I slightly over-baked it. But I added a garnish, so it's all good.

The Verdict

Pretty good, actually! Fairly flavorful but not too sweet. Cooking does seem to deepen the flavor of mulberries. I would make this again, and I'm certain that my family would eat it again. I am inspired to find some more mulberry recipes in the next week or so and try them before the end of the mulberry season.

Next time...

Maybe add a pinch of salt to bring out the flavors just a bit. And I might try lime juice instead of lemon juice!