Finding out the difference between mulberry vs blackberry is something that is a bit difficult, because both look the same, it is often confusing to differentiate between one another. This article is here to enlighten you about mulberry vs blackberry in terms of similarities, differences and taste between the two.
Both of them look the same in terms of appearance, taste, because this equation is sometimes not only confusing, but the two can replace each other in several purposes.
Even though the two are similar, there are very significant differences between mulberries and blackberries. What is the difference between mulberry vs blackberry, we will first distinguish it from the definition of each so that when you see it you can tell the difference. Follow the review below.
What is a Mulberry?
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The mulberry plant family comes from the Moraceae family, it contains more than 1000 species. The mulberry genus has 10-16 species. It is a plant of the warm and subtropical climates of Asia, Africa and America.
Mulberries are usually eaten while still fresh or when picked from the tree, sometimes also cooked, and dried. If you want to eat fresh mulberries, make sure that the fruit is fully ripe or black in color.
The taste of ripe mulberries is sweet, and many are used to make pies, jams, and other desserts. Mulberries are also an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.
What Does Mulberry Taste Like and Look?
The taste of mulberry is a cross between sour and sweet. sometimes they also come with a hint of cedar wood and roasted spices.
Mulberries are similar to blackberries in that they are elongated when fully grown. The color of the mulberry fruit is black, dark purple, white, or red when not fully ripe, so the color depends on the species.
The mulberry and blackberry berries are brittle, aromatic, sweet and the mulberry has a balanced taste, the white mulberry has a sweet and bland taste. While the sweetest mulberry is the black variety, not only sweet but also refreshing.
Among the sweetness, mulberry has a slight sourness, the lighter the taste the better and the less tart it is.
That’s a mulberry fruit that looks like a blackberry but there is a difference. Now let’s look at the definition of blackberries so that we can slowly recognize the differences.
What is a Blackberry?
Blackberries are perennial plants in the genus Rubus and belong to the Rosaceae family. Blackberries are wild plants that grow in thorny bushes. If you see blackberries growing on a tree, then it’s probably a mulberry.
Blackberry bushes appear annually, so blackberry bush plants can overwhelm your garden if you don’t trim them. In the treatment, ordinary blackberry plants are pruned or you can use a trellis so that you can easily control their growth. If not, then the blackberry plant may cover other plants in the vicinity.
Technically, a blackberry fruit is not considered a berry but an aggregate fruit because it develops from many flowers rather than a single flower. Blackberries are used as an ingredient in many recipes, especially in the preparation of cakes or desserts such as ice cream, jam, cobbler and pies.
What Does Blackberry Taste Like and Look?
If mulberries come in a variety of flavors, from sweet to bland, how about blackberries?
Blackberries also have a sweet and sour taste, this fruit is also juicy, fresh and soft, so more or less mulberries vs blackberries have a similar fruit taste.
The blackberry fruit is covered with fine, soft hairs, the center of which is not hollow but has a dense, white and edible core. Ripe blackberries glisten with purple highlights that make the fruit even more beautiful.
Typically, blackberry berries are 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter by 1 inch long. The color of the fruit changes color several times throughout its life. It is initially green, then turns red, deep purple and as it ripens becomes shiny black.
The Benefits of Mulberries vs. Blackberries
Blackberries and mulberries are fruits that are rich in health benefits. There are many nutrients that are good for endurance.
If you like mulberries or blackberries, you are in luck because these berries are very rich in essential nutrients for a healthy body. Let’s see how the health benefits of mulberry vs blackberry are listed below.
Health Benefits of Mulberries
In one serving or one cup of mulberries contains 60 calories, this is the right amount and good for filling the body so that it is always energized.
Mulberry fruit is also rich in iron, manganese, beta-carotene, potassium, folic acid, and a number of vitamins A, K, C and B complex. This becomes a storehouse of nutrients that make it an important fruit in maintaining a healthy body.
In addition, mulberry leaves are also rich in antioxidants and vitamins. Mulberry leaves are not to be eaten raw, but to be made into mulberry tea. The way to make mulberry leaf tea is to dry it, and crush it and then use it as a brew for the tea.
Health Benefits of Blackberries
Blackberries are not only delicious and sweet to eat but also store a lot of nutrients for health. these ingredients ensure the many health benefits of mulberry fruit.
In one serving of blackberries or 100 grams has provided 35% of the adequacy of daily vitamin C intake. It also contains 14% of the recommended daily fiber. The fruit is not only sweet but also rich in antioxidants which are quite important in preventing cancer.
Blackberry leaves can also be enjoyed as a tea. How to make blackberry leaf tea is also the same as making mulberry tea.
The Mulberry Vs Blackberry Differences
Both are similar but both are different and not the same. We will look at some of the differences between mulberries and blackberries below from several aspects.
1. Origin and Growth
Mulberries consist of small fruits that are fused together. While the blackberry is a drupe and is referred to as an individual fruit.
2. Taste
A class has seen what mulberries taste like and what blackberries taste like. But both have differences.
Mulberry fruit is often described as sweet and sour. While Blackberry from the other side is a sour fruit with a touch of sweetness.
Then mulberries are softer than blackberries, this is because mulberries have a lower pectin content than blackberries, this is a type of fiber that builds the structure of the fruit.
Then, mulberries and blackberries are great natural sources of antioxidants. But mulberries contain more vitamin C than you can get from blackberries. Also, mulberries are said to be richer in fiber than their counterparts (blackberries).
3. Origin and Growth
Mulberry plants can be found easily in Asia, while blackberries come from Europe and America, especially the northern part. Thus, in America mulberries are more expensive due to their rarity. While blackberries are easier to find and the price is cheaper in America.
Then the difference between mulberry vs blackberry is where the fruit grows. Mulberry is a fruit plant that grows on trees. While blackberries are shrubs (not tree-shaped). Mulberry trees can grow from 20 feet – 50 feet tall. While blackberry bush plants only grow low, ranging from 3 to 4 feet.
4. Yields
Mulberries have so many berries that you sometimes won’t be able to pick all of them before they fall from the branches. To prevent the fruit from holding the ground (so they don’t get crushed/damaged) you can make a shelter at the bottom so that the fruit that falls directly is protected.
While the blackberries bush produce less fruit than mulberries, they also take longer to ripen than mulberries.
Mulberries are available from June to August, while blackberries are available from August to September.
5. Appearance Mulberry vs blackberry
Mulberries are oval in shape and there are also longer species. The color starts green, turns red and turns black. While blackberries are dark purple and even black.
Mulberries are the same width as blackberries but almost twice as long. Blackberries also seem to be shinier than mulberries.
6. Uses
Mulberry is not an individual fruit, but rather lumps that are gathered together. If you use it in a recipe, then combine it with other fruit to enhance the taste.
While blackberries are quite flavorful, if you include them in a recipe they can stand alone to create flavor without having to add any other fruit.
7. Staining
Then another difference between mulberry vs blackberry is in terms of coloring. If you eat mulberries, the purple color will stick to your tongue and teeth, or if it gets on your clothes, it will stain.
While blackberries don’t make coloring like this. So, an easy way to tell the difference between blackberries and mulberries is to pay attention to whether they give off color when you eat them or not.
The Mulberry Vs Blackberry Similarities
Not only are they different in many ways, but the two also share many similarities in many ways. Here are some similarities between mulberry vs blackberry.
– Both are edible, small in shape and dark purple in color when ripe.
– Mulberries and blackberries have bright pigments and can be used as natural dyes.
– Mulberries and blackberries are rich in vitamin A, vitamin K, magnesium, potassium, antioxidants and rich in fiber.
– Mulberry vs blackberry, these two are not technically the same as other berries, but they are the aggregate and collective.
– The two can be used interchangeably in recipes, you can eat them in salads, baked goods, cereals, acai bowls, jams and many other dishes.
– Mulberries and blackberries are very perishable fruits and they only last 2 or 3 days.
FAQs Mulberry Vs Blackberry
Are Mulberry and Blackberry the same?
Mulberries and blackberries are the fruits of different trees but both appear to be the same even though there are fundamental differences. Mulberries are oval in shape, and blackberries are round in shape. If the mulberry is about 2 inches, the blackberry is about 1 inch.
Do mulberries and blackberries have the same taste?
Mulberries have a sweeter and sharper taste than blackberries. Blackberries also have earthy tones, but blackberries don’t.
What do blackberries taste like?
Blackberries taste slightly sour, but when fully ripe they are sweet. The fruit is dense, adding a woody flavor with earthy undertones.
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Final Thoughts
We’ve already talked about the mulberry vs blackberry comparison. Even though both of them look the same, it turns out that there are many differences between them, even very drastic differences, because both of them are from different trees, even from different genera. If mulberries are the fruit of trees, blackberries are thorny plants.
If mulberries grow a lot in Asia, while blackberries are plants that grow a lot in America and Europe.
After we take a closer look, it turns out that blackberries and mulberries are different. Blackberries are smaller than mulberries, and mulberries are clusters of many fruits, while blackberries are individual fruits with seeds.
If you want to differentiate between the two, then the best way to tell the difference is by squeezing the fruit in your fingers. If it stains your hands, then it’s a mulberry, but if it doesn’t stain your hands, then it’s a blackberry.
You can use blackberries or mulberries in many recipes and they can be substituted for each other. Indeed, both are not exact replicas but there are similarities that can add flavor to your recipe.
