Meskhetian Mulberry Bakmazi

Sort and rinse. Remove stems, damaged berries, and debris. Rinse ripe mulberries gently and drain well; bruised fruit loses juice before cooking.

Soften the fruit. Put the berries in a wide heavy pot over low heat. Warm for about 10 minutes, stirring gently now and then, until they collapse and release plenty of juice. Do not add water.

Drain safely. Set a fine sieve over a bowl and transfer in the fruit. Let it drain for 8–10 hours in the refrigerator. If the fruit is still very hot, cool it briefly in a shallow heat-safe vessel first, then refrigerate promptly.

Press and strain. Press the softened fruit through two layers of clean, damp cheesecloth. Strain the juice once more to remove most seeds and pulp; do not wring so hard that coarse solids pass through.

Reduce the juice. Measure the juice and pour it into a clean heavy saucepan. Simmer gently, stirring more often as it thickens, until it has reduced by about half and falls from a spoon in a glossy ribbon. A cooled drop should leave a track when pushed across a plate. Do not scorch it.

Cool and pack. Pour into small clean containers. Cool in shallow portions and refrigerate promptly at or below 4°C. The syrup thickens as it chills.