Mulberries & Mangoes

The day after I bought my new old wagon It wont be hard to guess what I did yes I went foraging…….
I drove very slowly around Wonga Beach just above Mossman to see what I could find I then walked along the beach for awhile picking up what I could I guess that would be more aptly called scavenging than foraging but lets not get into pedantic’s……  I strolled along looking here and looking there thinking now this is my kind of exercise it is far better than putting sneakers on and walking in a straightish line on asphalt or gravel, I found some pieces of cuttlefish which I was sure I would find a good home for someone I know must have birds……
I found some coconuts and that was it for now on the beach I had had enough walking so I drove back to look around the rest of the area and I seen some mangoes on the road yah!!!! How exiting I have been coming up north here on and off for about 9 years and I have missed mango season every time but not this year and I love mangoes so I’m so exited and have been eagerly watching the young mangoes form on the trees now for a couple of weeks there isn’t just a few trees here there are so many it looks like it is raining mangoes my dreams have come true….

So I picked up the usable ones green through to over ripe and nearly fermenting I put them in a box in the back of my wagon god it smelt good in there I drove a bit further on and I seen another mango tree I pulled up under another tree for the shade and as I put my bare foot out onto the ground I felt something squishy I looked down and saw purple pulp oozing up between my toes and on closer inspection I realize with the greatest delight that it was a mulberry tree I had parked under so I got my bamboo stick out of the wagon and laid my cloth down on the ground under the tree and gentle bashed to branches and watched all the little scrumptious gems fall to earth. They were so yummy I had heard people talk about mulberry trees up here and I just assumed it was a common name for a different tree to what I know as a mulberry which is a Morus species I thought it would be to hot up here for them but no it is the same tree that we have in temperate to cold climates so there you go.

Anyway I headed home with my bounty and I pulped the mangoes by squeezing them through my fingers oh what fun I then froze the pulp, I portioned the mulberries up there wasn’t many I took some to the elders meeting and they loved them they all had blue black tounges and fingers so funny……. I kept one serve for my friend Mick I turned his into a smoothy with fresh coconut flesh and milk, frozen banana, paw paw and the mulberries it was a gorgeous color and opps I didn’t get to take a picture it was gone to quick.
A few days later I had collected enough jars to use the mango pulp I made Mango and Tamarind relish, I fried off brown onions and garlic in olive oil I added the mango and the tamarind pulp some ginger, salt, pepper, curry spices, my home made vinegar & raw sugar I boiled this hard until the mixture thickened then I bottled it, It is so good and I already have another lot of pulp in the freezer but I need to go on another jar hunt.
Well I hope you are all enjoying your surrounding spring or winter bounty like me.