It’s one of my favorite one-liners when discussing the cidermaking business: “We pretend like we’re in charge, but Mother Nature is the boss.”
A perfect example is Fanfare, our cider infused with mulberries. This tree fruit typically sets and ripens in the spring, with a picking season from Memorial Day to July 4th. Unless, of course, Mother Nature surprises us with a late freeze in April, and buckets of rain in May. That’s what happened in 2016 and 2017, resulting in virtually no mulberry harvest – and no Fanfare.
But this season, there is a ray of sunshine and optimism. The trees were guarded and wary during the spring, refusing to set fruit until April. The berries have developed beautifully through May, and in two weeks, we have already collected 60 pounds of mulberries. Compare that to our grand total from the past two years combined: 15 pounds!
We are beyond thrilled to announce that the 2018 vintage of Fanfare – finally, three years in the making – will be a collaboration with Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. We’ve been waiting patiently since 2015 to pick mulberries from the sprawling, gorgeous, 100-year-old tree on their grounds, and we completed our first pick last week.
But we also need your help! One of our favorite aspects of Fanfare is that it truly is a community project. Our amazing fans and Cider Club members have worked diligently every spring to contribute mulberries from their own yards and neighborhoods, and you too can be a part of Fanfare’s creation! Here’s how to pick berries…
Look for dark purple mulberries on trees. A visual tip for locating a mulberry tree: fallen berries on the sidewalk or street under a tree. Pick only the ripest berries, or place a tarp beneath the branches and shake – the ripe berries will fall from the tree on to the tarp. Store berries in plastic bags/containers and freeze them. This preserves the mulberries until you can deliver them to our tasting room, where we will weigh the crop in exchange for Cider Bucks redeemable at the cidery.
Please note that mulberry picking is a marathon, not a sprint. This is a labor of persistence (perhaps even obsession, some would say). There are no mulberry orchards or patches, so find those wild trees and commence harvesting. Team Blue Bee Cider is happy to assist if you are aware of a mulberry tree nearby – just let us know at 804-231-0280 or brian@bluebeecider.com. And remember, please don’t trespass during your adventures.
Happy hunting!
-Brian Ahnmark
