North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["William A. Grimes" <wagrimes@sonic.net>]

I received a question via email concerning mulberries from an individual (Tarima Kasih) in Indonesia asking for another (Gede):

 

I hope you can help answer this young and enthusiastic farmer's question.  He's been taking cuttings from one small mulberry tree and creating many trees for two years.  This is a variety that produces throughout the year.  This year all the trees are producing abundantly - that means 100kg / week.

 

He's given a sample to a 5 star restaurant who tasted the berries and said some are very sweet, some tart, and some no flavor at all. 

 

Gede, the farmer, is confused as to why this is.  I've tried googling.  For me, I eat them by the dishful - and the same as other fruit, like strawberries here, sometimes the flavor is nice and sometimes the fruit has no taste. 

 

Do you have any ideas to help Gede either change his growing or to explain to the Exec Chef why the berries taste different? 

 

I suspect that it may be one day difference in picking which really can't be controlled here (ie how can they pick the tastiest each day when they can't tell which is perfectly ripe every day....)

 

Gede's email is the cc: above.  From him, thank you for your assistance and advice.

 

Terima Kasih

Gede

 

Are mulberries naturally variable from the same cultivar or even the same tree? Is there anything to add to the soil or practice to use to reduce this variability in taste or is that just the way it is? Are there other cultivars (I have no idea what cultivar this gentleman is using for his source of cuttings) that are sweeter?

 

Bill Grimes

CRFG