Berries Bring Bountiful summer Memories and more!

By Chef Asata Reid

I grew up with a big bountiful mulberry tree in my front yard. It grew near the street, and shaded the mailbox and the driveway which sloped downward and would be stained purple for several months out of the year due to all of the berries that rained down upon it. In the slow, hot months of summer, I could often be found bent in half picking the best of the berries out of the grass, or reaching up over my head to the lowest branches to cull the darkest, fattest berries from the tree. I had plenty of competition from birds, but the tree was so big and abundant that we could all eat well. I’d drop berries into a big bowl from the kitchen until it was full, and eat as many as I could with purple fingertips before Mama transformed them into something magical. 

All berries are flexible that way, folding themselves into crumbles and doobies, cobblers and pies; topping ice cream and shortcake; simmering down into sauces, jams and jellies. Mama would make mulberry preserves, a thick, sweet, seedy jam that was stored in glass Mason jars. These would line the counter as the berry season progressed. I was amazed that our tree and my mama could make something that looked like it belonged in the supermarket. Mama told me that “canning” food was an old wisdom that people passed down from generation to generation. By “canning,” we could preserve food when it was plentiful, like now, for times when it wasn’t, like winter. And I have learned that opening a jar of preserved summer goodness, like mulberry preserves or pickled okra, tomatoes or green beans, can bring back all the memories of a hot summer day, no matter what time of year it is. Spreading mulberry preserves on a piece of buttered toast instantly takes me back to summer afternoons gathering mulberries with purple-stained fingers.

Rolling into berry season is a pretty exciting time of year. Berries are the unsung hero of superfoods. Not only are they loaded with antioxidants, which help protect our cells from damage, but they are also high in fiber which is good news for both our cardiovascular systems and our digestive systems. Berries also help regulate blood sugars, and are the go-to fruit for diabetics thanks to their high fiber and low glycemic index. Packed with vitamins and minerals, berries also deliver a powerful anti-inflammatory punch and make a great addition to the diet of many people with chronic illnesses.

There are so many ways to enjoy berries--  if you have littles in your life, here’s a video with an easy recipe and activities with counting, patterns, and colors.

Enjoy this bounty of summer!