1231. Mulberry Molasses

Last season's mulberry yield occupied a considerable space in my freezer. In anticipation for another fruitful year insha Allah, I am coming up with different ways to use up the fruit besides cakes (one, two, three), pies, muffins, ice cream, or drinks and smoothies. An effective, versatile, and delicious contender was to make mulberry molasses.
Unlike date molasses, mulberry molasses is much more complex in flavor and cannot be a substitute for honey or sugar. In fact, it is closer to pomegranate molasses, but still different. Towards the end of the cooking period I add a tablespoon of sugar and a bit of citric acid to enhance its complexity. Furthermore, I was opting for a rustic outcome, which I achieved by using a medium sieve, not a fine meshed one. Stored properly in a sterile jar using canning procedure, the molasses keeps for months refrigerated.


Ingredients:

20 cups mulberries
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp citric acid


Method:

If using frozen berries, thaw first.
Blend the berries, in batches, thoroughly using a blender. Pass the puree through a sieve and discard/compost the solids remaining behind. Use a fine mesh sieve for a smoother molasses, or a medium mesh one for a more rustic outcome.
In a pot, bring the juice to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 2 to four hours, depending on your stove, until the juice is reduced to a third of what it was. You do not want to speed up this process by raising the heat because of the likelihood that the natural sugars will burn and make your molasses bitter and unusable.
When the juice has reduced, and you can run a finger on the back of a spoon with out the juice running into the path of your finger, add the sugar and citric acid and simmer 10 minutes more.
In the meantime, boil your storing jars with their lids (preferably in a pressure cooker). Using tongs, remove and drain your jars and immediately fill with the boiling hot molasses. Seal immediately and set aside until cooled to room temperature. Store open jars in a cool place or refrigerate altogether.

Uses for mulberry molasses: instead of ketchup; mixed in a marination for poultry of meats; in a salad dressing; mixed in a rice stuffing mix...

صحة و عافية