Before we came to Thailand, I confess: I didn’t know what a mulberry was. I thought it might be similar to a blueberry, but it turns out it isn’t even close.
Actually, it’s a small cluster of tiny purple (almost black) berries. Before they’re ripe, they’re tart and bright red; once they’re ready, they’ll be sweet and juicy!

Fresh jars of Den Chai Mulberry Jam. (Outpost / Michael Fraiman)
This is the perfect time to make them into a jam and spread it on some fluffy, homemade multigrain bread, which is exactly what our hosts at the Den Chai Mulberry Farm did. Alek, a kitchen wizard, whipped up some of the most hearty, delicious mulberry jam and bread in the world (a claim I make having never tried any other recipes, but still!).
I knew I’d want to replicate the experience at home, and asked her for her recipes. Here they are, so you can enjoy them, too.

Alek’s mulberry jam. (Outpost / Michael Fraiman)
Alek’s Mulberry Jam Recipe
Mulberry Jam Ingredients
- 1kg frozen mulberries
- 1 c lemon juice
- 200g brown sugar
- 2 tbsp pectin (she uses organic, even though it’s far more expensive)
Mulberry Jam Recipe
- In a bowl, combine frozen mulberries (washed, cleaned and roughly broken into small pieces) and lemon juice
- In another bowl, combine sugar and pectin
- Add sugar/pectin mixture to the mulberries
- Pour mixture into pot and bring to a boil
- Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for approximately 40 minutes
- While mixture is simmering, boil and sterilize jars and lids
- After 40 minutes, put mixture into jars and tighten lids. Let sit for 30 minutes, or until room temperature and then store in freezer
Note: we got approximately 12 250-ml jars from this recipe.

Alek’s hearty multigrain bread. (Outpost / Michael Fraiman)
Alek’s Multigrain Mulberry Bread Recipe
Multigrain Mulberry Bread Ingredients
- 2 c white flour
- 2 c whole wheat flour
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp yeast
- 1.5 c warm water
- 2 tbsp oil
- A few handfuls of any seeds you like (Alek uses sunflower, sesame, raisins and dried mulberries)
Multigrain Mulberry Bread Recipe
- Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Fahrenheit
- Mix all ingredients together. If using a bread maker to mix dough, use medium speed. Do not over process the dough.
- Once dough is formed, cut into chunks of 550g and push into greased bread/loaf pan, making sure to push all air bubbles out
- Let the bread rest for about three to five minutes, then put into oven
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes
Note: Temperatures, rise times and cook times may vary in different countries due to humidity and elevation differences; this recipe worked great for Alek, but she lives in a mountainous humid jungle region of Northern Thailand, so don’t be surprised if you need to adjust the baking time to suit your own home.