This is the third post from the archives of Norah Colvin and this week she shares her childhood memories of mulberries and her flash fiction that week in 2017 in response to the Carrot Ranch Literary Community – In 99 words (no more, no less) include music and berries. It can be fantastical, such as the music of berries or a story that unfolds about a concert in a berry patch. Go where the prompt leads.
Berry Delightful by Norah Colvin
What is your favourite berry?
Which berries make your taste buds sing?
When I was a child, there was a huge Mulberry tree growing in the backyard of one of our neighbours who was kind enough to allow access to the multitude of children in our family. Each summer the tree would be laden with fruit and we would pull at its branches to gather as much as we could into buckets and bowls. We would go home stained with purple on our bodies and our clothes and, mostly, around our mouths. We couldn’t wait to eat and there were plenty to go around. Mum would bake mulberry pies and fill jars with mulberry jam that was delicious on our buttered bread for breakfast or lunch.
Since then, I have encountered few mulberries trees, only occasionally sourcing their leaves to feed voracious silkworm caterpillars. The berries themselves seem not to be harvested for store sales. However, I was recently reminded of Mum’s mulberry jam when I spotted some on a shelf at the Jamworks gourmet deli. I must admit though, while I resisted the mulberry jam, I couldn’t resist the fig and ginger variety.
The other berry that was most familiar to me as a child, but never since seen, was what we called the gooseberry. There were gooseberry plants growing by our back fence. I remember picking the berries, peeling back the outer leaves and eating the small fruit, which I think had quite a tart flavour. As I recall, Mum would also make jam, but not pies, with these.
c) Norah Colvin
I recall that, even as a young adult, a serving of strawberries and cream had seemed a very luxurious and decadent dessert. Now strawberries are more affordable and readily available all year round. They are a favourite of my granddaughter. So much so that I need to have at least one punnet in the fridge for her when she visits. A strawberry torte is my family’s pick for special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas. I wrote about it and included the recipe here
In addition to strawberries, stores now have a variety available all year round; including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and cranberries. The berries make a wonderful filling for the other family favourite, pavlova.
©Norah Colvin
But do you know what a berry is?
I checked with Wikipedia for the definition of a berry, and found that it is “a fleshy fruit without a stone produced from a single flower containing one ovary”.
Botanically, the following fruits (and vegetables) are berries:
Grapes
Currants
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Eggplants
Bananas
Kiwi fruit
Blueberries
Cranberries
Coffee beans
Pumpkin
Watermelon
and these, commonly called berries, are not:
Strawberries
Raspberries
Mulberry
Blackberry
Do you need to change your answers to my initial questions:
What is your favourite berry?
Which berries make your taste buds sing?
Or are you happy to go with common usage? If I write about mulberries, will I be fulfilling the requirements of Charli’s prompt? Perhaps I should write about picking watermelons instead.
Mulberry Stew
Branches hung heavy with berries in reach of even the youngest child. They ate more than they bucketed; but there were plenty, including for birds singing in higher branches. Mum had forbidden them. “Mrs Wilson’s poorly. Don’t disturb her.” But they couldn’t resist. They scampered the instant she called.
“Where have you been?” She eyed the purple stains.
“We …” the youngest began to sing.
“Nowhere,” they shushed with hands concealed.
“What were you doing?”
“Nothing.”
Her lips twitched. “Hand them over.”
Later they pondered together how she knew.
When Dad got home, they’d have to face the music.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate your feedback. Please share your thoughts.
©Norah Colvin
About Norah Colvin
I am an experienced and passionate educator. I teach. I write. I create.
I have spent almost all my life thinking and learning about thinking and learning.
I have been involved in many educational roles, both in and out of formal schooling situations, always combining my love of teaching and writing by creating original materials to support children’s learning.
Now as I step away from the classroom again, I embark upon my latest iteration: sharing my thoughts about education by challenging what exists while asking what could be; and inviting early childhood educators to support children’s learning through use of my original teaching materials which are now available on my website http://www.readilearn.com.au
Connect to Norah via her websites
Website: www.NorahColvin.com
Website: www.readilearn.com.au
And social media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NorahColvin
Twitter 2: https://twitter.com/readilearn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008724879054
Readilearn: https://www.facebook.com/readilearnteachingresources/
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/norah-colvin-14578777
My thanks to Norah for her berry delicious post and for clarifying the issue of what is or not a berry. It has certainly whet my appetite for a piece of pavlova…
I love berries. The beautiful and delicious Swedish ‘björnbär’ (bear berries) or in Mexico ‘zarzamora’ they somehow taste different from the American blackberries. My grandmother Catalina made preserves every year with ‘zarzamora’
Tumblr is finally working again so note I share you there often. http://thebridgeofdeaths.tumblr.com/
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So many berries! Thanks for sharing, Maria. I hadn’t heard of either bear berries or zarzamora. I wonder if I’ll get to try them one day.
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I’m drooling, Sally and Norah…Thank you both.. .My favourites are raspberries – they always ‘deliver’ – while strawberries aroma can lie…Blackberries come second as we used to pick jugs-full in Wales when young and ‘Aunt Sal’ used to make blackberry and apple pie which smelled heavenly baked on the old black stove…xx
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Now I’m drooling, Joy. 🙂 It is difficult to pick a favourite berry. Blackberry and apple pie sounds scrumptious.
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I think I read this post before, Norah, but it was good to read it again. I recall being surprised that a watermelon was classed as a berry.
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Perhaps you read it when it was published on my blog, Robbie. I was surprised by a few of those berries, too. It shows how different common usage can be from scientific classification.
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Interesting education on the various berry groups Norah. My favs are blackberries. And they aren’t cheap! 😉 ❤
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They are free here in the autumn Debby in the hedgerows.. another excuse to visit.. hugs♥
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Wow!
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Oh wow! And believe me Sal – I don’t need an excuse to visit! ❤ xxx
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It will happen one day….♥♥
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❤
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I hadn’t had blackberries until a few years ago. They weren’t commonly available here. Most berries aren’t cheap. 😦 I guess they could be labour-intensive to pick and process.
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I think you must be right Norah. Maybe we have to go to Ireland to visit Sally in autumn, she note they’e plentiful and free then. 🙂
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Just let me know ladies…. ♥
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What a wonderful idea, Debby. I haven’t been to Ireland, but visited Hub’s family in Northern Ireland twice. Such a beautiful place. 🙂
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I will get there eventually! 😉 And there better be berries! Lol 🙂 x
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You’re darn right! 🙂
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🙂
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Suspiciously green as we say here Norah.. I hope if you come across again we can get to meet up.. we are only 3 hours from the border…hugsx
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Beautifully green, Sally. 🙂 It’s so different from Australia. As a child, I wished to visit three places – Ireland, Switzerland and New Zealand. What did they have in common? Green! I haven’t actually visited any of them. I’m not much of a traveller. One day …
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There are parts of the world that I have always wanted to visit Norah.. thankfully today at least there are amazing videos available for virtual tours that meet us halfway…. hugsxx
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We picked blackberries for free on the west coast of Canada too. They grew wild everywhere. The brambles are prickly but worth it. I love them.
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I’m so jealous! 🙂
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Sounds amazing, Darlene! Like Debby, I’m envious, too.
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.After reading your Delightful Berry Post.. I must change my favorite berry from strawberry to kiwi!, Nora. Indeed, a surprise. 🙂 A lovely post!
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Thanks Bette..hugsx
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The kiwi is delicious too. We often serve it with strawberries on pavlova for a very Christmassy treat. 🙂
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Sounds yummy, Norah… ❤
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It is, Bette. 🙂
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I eat berries on a regular basis, Norah and Sally, for the taste as well as for health benefits. Among 12 healthy foods high in antioxidants, 4 of them are berries – blue berries, strawberries, raspberries, and goji berries.
I remember picking mulberry leaves to feed silkworms as a class project for preschool kids.
What a fun childhood memories, Norah! I enjoyed reading it. ❤
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Glad to hear you are eating those berried Miriam.. wonderful addition to the diet and so easy to throw on cereal, salads or just a handful… ♥
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Easy indeed, Sally. 🙂
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Exactly, Sally. I do that all the time. Also when I go to a potluck dinner, I either make a salad with different berries plus mandarin oranges, or a mixed berries pie. ❤
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Thank you, Miriam. Berries are great for our health – mental health too for the pleasure they bring. 🙂
I’m pleased my post brought back some happy childhood memories for you. Enjoy!
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Yes, Norah. I always have some berries in my refrigerator. 🙂
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Me too! 🙂
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Yes, they’re healthy snacks, Norah. 🙂
I’m doing some work for my book to enter an award review. I’ll answer the questions to your post next week. Thank you, Norah!
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An award review sounds exciting, Miriam. I wish you success. There’s no pressure for your responses to my questions – just as you have time. I’m scheduling them as they come in. 🙂
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Thank you, Norah. I filled out the form, did a couple required things and emailed them last night.
I was invited for a “Spotlight Honors” radio podcast interview scheduled for April 18. I’ll try to answer the 20 questions prior to the interview and I should have time to do your interview also. 🙂
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You’re on fire, Miriam. Congratulations!
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Hi Sally, Thank you so much for sharing my post on your blog. I love that it stimulates further conversations and I get to hear other people’s ideas and experiences. It’s interesting that some berries are available the world over and others are very localised. I guess most of them were imported and cultivated here.
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Always delighted to share your posts Norah.. We have a berry farm near to us and they stay with raspberries, strawberries and blueberries and I have to say eating them straight from the farm rather than imported is such a different taste experience. We don’t have many exotics except dried and I do miss the variety that we were used to in Spain for all fruit. Still from June to October we are definitely given the best… hugsxx
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What a delicious variety from which to choose, Sally, and I agree – local is best, for many reasons. 🙂
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Ah, the glorious berries! Springtime is a great time for the freshest ones. Great post and loved the flash fiction!
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thanks Jan and Norah has some amazing flash fiction in the challenge.. time for a book I think…hugsx
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Thank you for your kind words, Sally. A few of my stories feature in the Congress of Rough Writers Anthology Vol 1. https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-congress-of-the-rough-writers
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Thanks so much, Jan. It must just about be time for your freshest berry season. I’m pleased you enjoyed the flash fiction. Thank you. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Norah Colvin and commented:
I’m having a delicious time over at Sally’s this week, sharing my post about berries. Won’t you join me?
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Thanks for the lovely posts Norah..hugsx
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Thank you for all your generous support, Sally. Hugs. ❤
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We had gooseberries on the Canadian prairies. They were good, but a bit tart. My favourite berries are blueberries. I eat them on my porridge, in my pancakes and muffins and with yogurt etc. I also enjoy blackberries which grow in abundance on the west coast of Canada and can be picked for free. And what about chokecherries. They make the best jam ever!
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Never seen or eaten a chokecherry Darlene.. sounds like they come with a health warning!!! hugsx
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For good reason. Here is what I found on the internet.
Chokecherry, (Prunus virginiana), also spelled choke cherry, deciduous shrub or small tree belonging to the rose family (Rosaceae), native to North America. It is aptly named for the astringent, acidic taste of its reddish cherries, which may be made into jelly and preserves. The stones and foliage are poisonous and may contain hydrocyanic acid in varying amounts.
To make the jelly, we had to remove the stones by grinding the berries into a sieve. It was a lot of work but worth it in the end. The stones and foliage were discarded.
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Wow… almost as bad as that toxic fish the Japanese have to prepare so carefully!! lol.. thanks for the information Darlene… hugs xxx
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The information you provide about chokeberries is fascinating, Darlene. I often wonder how the processes required to make some of our foods edible was discovered. It would be fascinating to know. Some of the processes are quite involved so it makes me wonder how many lives were lost in the name of science (even before it was given that name).
Blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins – you’ve made my mouth water! 🙂
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Delightful post, Norah! I don’t think I have ever tasted a mulberry. I can picture children picking the berries. In school we all learned how to sing, “Here we go round the mulberry bush” as children. Your list of classifying berries was a big surprise to me! Lovely photos, too. Thank you Norah and Sally!
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Thanks Jennie..hugsx
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You’re welcome, Sally. Hugs!
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Thank you, Jennie. I’m pleased you enjoyed the post and learned something new. Did you ever need mulberry leaves to feed silkworms?
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You’re welcome, Norah. I’ve never heard of feeding mulberry leaves to silkworms. Fascinating!
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That’s interesting, Jennie. What do you feed silkworms? It seems to be their staple here.
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I wish I knew!
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It’s delicious to enjoy this post again. I think I missed that pumpkins were listed at berries. Now I can say my favorite berry pie is pumpkin! Pavlovas are one of my favorite desserts. I think I will make one this year for my son and future DIL when we go to visit.
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I agree Charli… delicious and Pavlova is one of my favourite desserts too.. xx
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Pavlova is always popular with my family and friends and an event seems to lack something if Norah doesn’t make a pavlova. It’s a good thing they’re easy to make. 🙂
Hahaha – pumpkin is your favourite berry pie! Love it. 🙂
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My neighbor had a big mulberry tree and I used to pluck them off the tree and eat them as a kid. Loved them. Your definition of a berry surprised. Learned something new.
And, a clever twist on your flash fiction story. Couldn’t figure how you insert music.
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Thanks Patricia.. I thought Norah’s flash fiction was great too.
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Thank you, Patricia and Sally. I’m pleased you both enjoyed the flash story.
Patricia, isn’t it wonderful to have childhood memories of eating mulberries right off the tree. Special times.
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Love mulberries and, as I’m sure I said first time round, its strange we don’t grow them more in the UK, given that nursery rhyme … Great post, Sally and Norah, well worth reviving.
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Thanks Anne…I found this article about growing them in the UK and it looks like it is quite feasible. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/howtogrow/fruitandvegetables/3349362/Mulberries-Juicy-fruits-with-gnarly-character.html
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Thanks, Sally. I did try once, but the tree died. 😦
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I wonder if there are more than you’re aware of, hidden away in people’s gardens. I have never heard of an orchard of mulberry trees. I wonder if there are any. 🙂
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Actually, I just looked it up and there’s an orchard not far from me. How about that! http://stfc.org.au/visiting-marg-macadam%E2%80%99s-fig-and-mulberry-orchard
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Fantastic Norah…
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