Like clockwork, Mulberries come into season around Holi each year. Ours are native shrubs, that is to say, the fruit is small and carries a sweet and tart flavour.
 
Being native, these berries are much too tender to travel fresh to Bombay. (Fruits were modified over time to improve transportability). While we did try, we'd often end up with a mushy wine rather than fresh fruit. Chancing upon a ripe berry on the farm isn't a guarantee either. The shrubs create a shaded canopy making it an ideal sight for the bird feast during summer afternoons. To add to it, the final shade of ripening for these berries - turning from dark red to purple - occurs late morning, making the whole scene like a full on mela for the birds. Unless you are at the shrubs at the right time, you're going to have to wait the next day for your berry harvest, or collect what the birds pecked but let drop to the earth. (Making me ponder the validity of the phrase - man is at the top of the food chain). 
 
As you can imagine, this is a precious preserve for us! Hand made in small batches - it takes us a week to collect enough berries for a single batch of jam. While we have been jamming since 2014, our recipe saw refinement in 2022, when chef Gayatri Desai of Ground Up helped us better express the authentic flavour of the fruit. Today's preserve comes from years of experience, and luck in collecting the ripe fruit to begin with! 
 
Given mulberry is a sweet and tart fruit, this preserve is less sweet when compared with our Mango series. It is prepared with sulphur-free sugar, and does not contain preservatives or colours.
 
Store: Cool and dry. Refrigerate once opened.