Mulberry Vs Blackberry & Their Benefits

bowl of red and black berries

If you are wondering what is the difference between mulberry and blackberry, as well as what their benefits are, you will find out here.

If you have ever been confused over what the difference is between mulberry and blackberry bushes, you’re certainly not alone. The mulberry vs blackberry question has been asked many times, so we are going to clear things up.

Although in some ways they may seem similar, in others they are quite different. Both of these plants have extraordinary benefits, for your garden and your health. We are going to go into what the similarities and differences are, as well as their benefits. They both appear similar, so we will take a look at how you can genuinely differentiate these two berries.

  1. Mulberry At a Glance

Mulberry is actually a tree, not a bush as many believe it is. Mulberries are related to figs and breadfruit, which are two things that look nothing like mulberries yet are similar enough to be considered cousins. You may also be surprised to learn that mulberries are actually not berries. This is just a technicality, however, so do not get your brain in a knot trying to figure that one out.

  1. Size

Mulberries are noticeably larger than blackberries. They are more like ovals when it comes to determining their shape. You can even find mulberries that are a few inches in length!

  1. Color

The most common color for mulberries is black. You can also find white mulberries, as well as reddish-purple ones.

  1. Vitamin & Mineral Content

As with many berries, consuming mulberries provides several health benefits. Mulberries contain vitamin, minerals, and various nutrients. You can expect to receive healthy doses of these nutrients:

  • Fiber
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin K
  • Potassium
  • Antioxidants
  • Anthocyanins
  1. Dietary Use

You can find mulberries used in the production of several foods and beverages, such as the following:

  • Wine
  • Juice
  • Tea
  • Jam
  • Sorbet

If you want to eat raw mulberries, the most common way to do so is in their raw form, akin to how you eat raisins. Mulberries have a mild flavor, so they go great as an addition to several types of foods. A few of the best places to incorporate mulberries are the following ways:

  • Make a mulberry pie.
  • Add mulberries to pancakes.
  • Use mulberries as the main ingredient in a smoothie.
  • Throw a few mulberries into an oatmeal breakfast.
  • Add mulberries into granola.
  • Toss a few mulberries into a salad, either raw or dried.
  • Use them as an ingredient in homemade ice cream.
  • Replace blueberries with mulberries when making muffins.
  1. Non-Dietary Use

The leaves of the mulberry tree are the only food that silkworms will eat. This is why the mulberry tree has been grown in China for centuries. Since there is no silk without silkworms, this is one tree that will be safeguarded for generations to come.

  1. Mulberry Health Benefits

As we alluded to earlier, there are many health benefits when it comes to mulberries. Besides using the mulberry leaves for helping silkworms produce fine fabric threads, the Chinese also used mulberries medicinally. The use of them for their health benefits goes back thousands of years.

One of the most significant benefits of these berries is their ability to act as an antioxidant. The key to this is resveratrol. This powerful antioxidant can help you live longer and look younger. It can also help you reduce bad cholesterol and thwart any potential damage to your blood vessels. This reduction in oxidative stress can even prevent you from getting cancer.

Mulberries can also reduce your risk of diabetes. Around half a billion people around the world currently have diabetes. With such alarming statistics, it more important than ever to watch your blood sugar levels. Mulberries contain a compound called DNJ, which stops a specific enzyme in your body from breaking down carbs into sugar.

  1. Blackberry At a Glance

Blackberry is a perennial plant, meaning it comes back to life year after year. They belong to the Rubus and Rosaceae families of the plant kingdom. Blackberries are real berries through and through. You can find hundreds of blackberry fruits on bushes in the late summer growing like weeds. Numerous thorns guard these delicious berries, so you will have to be careful when foraging for them.

Blackberries also lack a stem when you pick them. This differs from mulberries which do have one attached. The leaves of a blackberry bush cannot be used for much besides being a food source for some animals. When it comes to taste, blackberries are usually sweet. If you ever had raspberries, then you can get an idea of how delicious they can be. They can taste sour if not fully ripe.

  1. Size

Blackberries are usually more round than oval, although you can find some lengthy fruits sometimes. They are generally between one and two inches in length.

  1. Color

Blackberries are not black as their name suggests. They are intensely dark purple. Perhaps the person who came up with their name was colorblind, but they can look black from afar.

  1. Vitamin & Mineral Content

There are several health benefits you can get from eating blackberries. Some of the vitamins and minerals you will get from these berries are the following:

  • Fiber
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin K
  • Potassium
  • Magnesium
  • Anthocyanins
  • Manganese
  1. Dietary Use

Blackberries are used in the production of several types of food. Some of these are the following:

  • Wine
  • Juice
  • Jam
  • Sauce
  • Tea
  • Gelato

Besides being the primary ingredient in foods, there are also plenty of ways to spruce up existing culinary delights. You can add blackberries to any of the following foods for some flavor enhancement:

  • Throw a bunch into yogurt.
  • Use them when making a milkshake.
  • Replace the jelly in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with blackberry jam.
  • Add a few to your breakfast cereal.
  • Put a few into a salad.
  • Use them as the main ingredient in a smoothie.
  • Make them a part of homemade marshmallows.
  1. Non-Dietary Use

Although you cannot make silk out of blackberry leaves, there are a few different uses for other parts of this thorny bush. One thing you can do is remove the thorns and leaves from the stalks and make a hand-drill spindle. If you need a friction fire, one alternative to using string is the bendy stalk of a young blackberry shoot.

Another way to use the stalks is for fishing. All you need to do is cut off a long enough section of a thorny stem, remove the leaves, and tie it to a pole. Attach something to one or more of the thorns that fish find appealing and start fishing. You can then bring up the fish in a hand-held net and bring it ashore. Since the thorns are not that strong, they will come out easily.

  1. Blackberry Health Benefits

Blackberries contain tremendous health benefits when eaten in one form or another. As with mulberries, these fruits have been used for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks and Romans utilized blackberry bushes for many health issues they had, such as infections and poisonous snakebites. They used every part of the blackberry bush, including the roots, stems, bark, leaves, and fruit. 

There are potent antioxidants in blackberries, which can protect against damaging free radicals. You may be safeguarded against certain diseases thanks to these antioxidants. Blackberries also can protect you from getting cancer. They even include chemo-protective properties, meaning the micro-nutrients in these berries will target cancer cells and stop them from spreading.

If you are looking for a boost in your brainpower, eat a handful of blackberries. There are polyphenols in blackberries, which can inhibit the decline of age-related cognitive functions. You will probably notice your memory gets sharper when you start incorporating blackberries into your diet.

  1. Wrapping Up
  2. In summary, mulberries are tasty and can be eaten either raw or dried. They have been used medicinally for thousands of years, and the mulberry tree’s leaves help in the production of silk. The mulberry tree is a beautiful long-living example of a multipurpose tree, sporting heart-shaped leaves that add a charming touch to them.

Blackberries are delicious when picked ripe, and you can use them in the production of many different kinds of delicious dishes. The entire bush has been used for medicinal reasons, along with some unique non-dietary purposes. Blackberry bushes grow like weeds, which makes them easy to find and benefit from.

You can finally put the mulberry vs blackberry question to rest. Both of these plants have beneficial properties and will bring you benefits in a multitude of ways. Eating them is far from being the only use for both blackberry bushes and mulberry trees. You have now expanded your horizons on what is possible with these two distant cousins of the plant kingdom.

When you consider the mulberry vs blackberry differences and similarities, you can be sure that both have many uses and functions. These two are great allies to have in your garden if you have the room for them.

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