The berries of several species of mulberry tree can be made into wine. Some of the available ones in the US include white mulberry (Morus alba), native to East Asia but naturalized extensively in urban areas of the eastern US, black mulberry (M. nigra) native to southwest Asia, and red mulberry (M. rubra) native to eastern US. The berries of white mulberry have the mildest flavor but the berries of all three can be made into wine successfully.

There are numerous recipes on the Internet for Mulberry wine but here is the recipes my paternal grandmother, Helen S. Wright, included in her book Old Time Recipes for Home Made Wine.  In the words of my grandmother:

On a dry day gather mulberries, when they are just changing from redness to a shining black; spread them thinly on a fine cloth, or on a floor or table for twenty-four hours, and then press them. Boil a gallon of water with each gallon of juice, putting to every gallon of water once ounce of cinnamon bark and six ounces of sugar candy finely powdered. Skim and strain the water when it is taken off and settled, and put in the mulberry juice. Now add to every gallon of the mixture one pint of white or Rhenish wine. Let the whole stand in a cask to ferment for five or six days. When settled drain if off into bottles and keep cool

To buy Old Time Recipes for Homemade Wines by Helen S. Wright Click Here.

By Karen