Jordanian Mulberry Juice (Asir Tut)
A deep purple, lightly sweet juice made by crushing ripe mulberries with cold water, straining, and sweetening to taste. Served ice cold, it is a refreshing summer drink with a jammy, wine-like berry flavor.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- —
- Wait
- 1 hr
- Total
- 1 hr 20 min
- Makes
- About 4 cups (950 ml), serving 4
Steps
Before you start
- Mulberries stain hands, counters and clothing deeply: wear an apron and work over a rimmed tray or in the sink.
- Chill the water and your serving pitcher so the juice gets cold quickly.
- Taste a berry first. Very ripe, dark berries need little sugar; red or pale-purple ones need more and a bit of lemon.
- Allow about 1 hour in the fridge for the flavor to meld and the juice to chill.
Clean the berries
- Pick through the 4 cups (600 g) mulberries and discard any moldy or underripe green ones.
- Pinch off any remaining stems.
- Place in a colander and rinse gently under cool running water, then drain well for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Berries are clean, stem-free and no longer dripping.
Tip: Mulberries are delicate; rinse in small batches and don't rub them or they burst early.
Crush the berries
- Put the drained berries in the large bowl.
- Press and mash with a potato masher for about 2 minutes, until nearly all berries are broken and the bowl holds a thick, dark purple pulp.
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Ready when: No whole berries remain and the pulp looks wet and glossy.
Tip: Don't use a blender; it pulverizes the small seeds and makes the juice gritty and bitter.
Add the water
- Pour 2 cups (480 ml) of the cold water over the pulp and stir well for 30 seconds.
- Let it sit 10 minutes so the water pulls out color and flavor.
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Ready when: Liquid is deep purple-red.
Strain the juice
- Set the fine-mesh sieve (lined with cheesecloth if you want clearer juice) over the pitcher.
- Pour in the mixture in two batches.
- Press the pulp firmly with a spatula to extract all the juice, about 2 minutes per batch.
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Ready when: Pulp left in the sieve looks pale and fairly dry.
Tip: Press, don't scrape the bottom of the sieve hard, or sludge and seeds push through.
Rinse the pulp
- Return the pulp to the bowl, add the remaining 1 cup (240 ml) cold water, stir, and strain it into the same pitcher, pressing again.
- This recovers extra juice and loosens the concentration.
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Ready when: Pulp is pale and the pitcher holds about 4 cups (950 ml) of juice.
Tip: Discard the pulp, or save it to stir into yogurt or jam.
Sweeten to taste
- Add ¼ cup (50 g) sugar and the lemon juice, if using.
- Stir for 1 minute until no sugar granules remain at the bottom of the pitcher.
- Taste, and add more sugar 1 tablespoon (12 g) at a time until pleasantly sweet but still berry-forward.
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Ready when: Sugar fully dissolved; the juice tastes sweet-tart and balanced.
Tip: Cold juice tastes less sweet, so aim slightly sweeter than you want it to taste when served.
Chill and serve
- Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Stir well, as fine sediment settles, then pour into glasses over ice.
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Ready when: Juice is thoroughly cold to the touch on the pitcher.
Good to know
Tips
- Use the darkest, plumpest berries you can find; black mulberries give the richest color and sweetness.
- Never use a blender, since crushed seeds turn the juice bitter.
- For a clearer juice, strain a second time through cheesecloth.
- A few mint leaves or a splash of rose water makes a fragrant variation.
Make ahead
"Make the juice up to 1 day ahead and keep covered in the fridge. Stir before serving."
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: no more than 1 hour. Fridge: covered, up to 3 days; stir before pouring. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers with 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace, or as ice cubes; thaw overnight in the fridge.
Substitutions
- ripe mulberries → frozen mulberries, thawed. Use the same weight and include the thawed juices; they crush more easily.
- granulated sugar → honey or grape molasses (dibs al-enab). Use about 3 tablespoons (45 ml) honey and stir into the juice; molasses gives a deeper, traditional flavor.
- fresh lemon juice → lime juice. Use the same amount for brightness.
- cold water → sparkling water. Add only when serving, about half and half with the juice, for a fizzy version.