This recipe is part of my Caucasus x Appalachia series where I compare the facts and cultural impacts of plants that grow both here in America and in the Republic of Georgia. Wander over to the field journal to learn more about mulberries.
Mulberries are a principle fruit of Georgian fare. One of the ways that succulent, ephemeral mulberries are preserved in Georgia is by making fruit leather. This is a centuries-old traditional method of preservation. Fruit leather, called tklapi, can be found across many markets in Georgia. Tklapi is made from all kinds of fruits. Wild plums, pears, mulberries, figs, apples, and cherries are some examples. According to Georgia.to, “In regions like Samtskhe-Javakheti, mulberry tklapi is popular, known for its health benefits, particularly for sore throats and liver diseases.”
Tklapi is used in both sweet and savory applications depending on the fruit’s characteristics. For example, a wild plum tklapi might be used to bring a complex acidity to a dish, similar to how others might use lemon in a savory dish. The dulcet qualities of mulberry tklapi might be the basis for something sweet. It’s a brilliant way of transforming a ripe fruit crop into a pantry item that is shelf stable and versatile.
I remember walking through the covered markets in Tbilisi and being drawn to the tklapi and churchkhela. The colors and forms were utterly eye-catching. And since we have no mainstream culinary comparisons in the states, curiosity certainly was piqued. Inspired by the tklapi in these wondrous Georgian markets, I decided to make a fruit leather with my foraged mulberries this summer.
Now, this is not a formal recipe, this is just a tribute (Tenacious D, anyone?)...But seriously, I made this fruit leather not in the traditional Georgian manner (e.g. sun drying) nor did I take exact measurements. Quantities are determined by how many mulberries you’re able harvest, and what type of dehydrator you have also comes into play. Here is the groundwork for you to play around with:
Mulberry Fruit Leather
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Take whatever amount of dark mulberries you have and soak them in cool water for a few minutes to remove any debris/bugs. Several changes of water might be required.
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Place mulberries in a pot and gently cook on low heat while mashing the mulberries. Remove from heat once everything is mashed. You will still have stems.
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Strain out the liquid from the mash and set the liquid aside.
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Spread the mashed solids on a tray and pick out the stems. This part can be rather tedious.
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Combine the liquid with the solids, add honey to taste, and purée.
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Pour this mulberry purée into thin layers in a dehydrator (use dehydrator tray liners or parchment).
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Dehydrate at 145F until dry. This can take several hours. It took almost 9 hours in my case. The mulberry leather is now ready to eat or store at room temp.
Mulberry, Cream Cheese, & Walnut Roll-Ups
With my mulberry leather I made a roll-up filled with sweetened cream cheese and walnuts. To make the cream cheese filling I used roughly 1 block of room temp cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, a splash of vanilla extract, ½ of a vanilla bean, and a pinch of salt. I spread out this cream cheese mixture onto the mulberry leather, sprinkled ~⅓ cup of chopped walnuts, rolled it up, then chilled it. After being chilled, the roll is easy to cut into slices.