How To Grow and Use Ground Cherries (With Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What are ground cherries used for? ›

Ground cherries are excellent on their own (after getting them out of the inedible husk, that is!) or as a topping for cereal, ice cream and yogurt. They also make for unique baked goods, like ground cherry crumble or ground cherry clafoutis.

Ground Cherries are relatives of tomatoes, and once husked are eaten raw, in salads or desserts, dried or made into jams. Sometimes called cape gooseberries, winter cherries, or husk tomatoes, ground cherries are small yellow fruits with a papery husk.

Because ground cherries grow fairly quickly, I often let some of these little ground cherry plants grow. They fruit later than my transplants, but are still worth the space. But don't bother with volunteer cape gooseberry plants in a northern garden...they need too long a season.

It is best not to plant ground cherries with corn, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, as well as other nightshades as they will compete for soil resources and attract similar pests.

Know When to Harvest

Once the husks of your ground cherries are dry and/or drop to the ground, our experts say they're ready to harvest. "Fruits are generally sweetest when they fall to the ground on their own or when the plant is gently shaken," Cunningham explains.

Health benefits

Groundcherries contain beta carotene, an antioxidant that our bodies can transform into vitamin A. They are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps us absorb iron and is known for its antioxidant effects.

Cherry pits contain trace amounts of cyanide. While accidentally eating a few cherry pits will not kill you, eating more than 20-30 can lead to dangerous toxicity. Your body can withstand up to 50 mg of cyanide before it becomes poisonous.

Ground cherries are often used fresh, such as in salads, or cooked in sauces and more. They can keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Common ground cherry is closely related to the tomatillo, and its fruits are edible, too. Ground cherry is closely related to tomatillo; they are in the same genus, and both have edible berries covered by a papery husk. The tart berries start out green, turn yellow, and fall to the ground.

Ground cherries are native to Mexico and the southern United States. They're annual, heat-loving plants that die in late summer (in our zone, 7b) after they're done producing hundreds of ground cherry fruits.

When should you harvest ground cherries? ›

Expect ripened fruit from late summer through autumn. Usually, fruits will ripen ten to eleven weeks after transplanting outdoors. The ground cherry fruit, a berry, ripens inside its husk. Then the beige to tan papery husk holding the berry falls to the ground.

Ground cherries produce up to 300 fruits per plant and bear nonstop until frost. Four to six plants are sufficient for the average-sized family.

Common Pests and Diseases

Ground cherries are not susceptible to many bacterial, fungal, or viral diseases. However, plants do occasionally suffer damage from flea beetles, whiteflies, ground cherry leaf beetles, and mites.

Ground cherries are members of the nightshade family, containing solanine and other solanidine alkaloids. These toxins are lethal in the plant's leaves and unripe fruit. Immature berries have the highest level of toxins.

A typical way to grow ground cherries is to let them live up to their name and sprawl on the ground. A major problem with this is that the ripe fruits tend to drop off and lie unseen under the foliage. Some people tie the plants up to a vertical trellis, which I find requires too much maintenance while they're growing.

How about this okra and tomatoes dish, but with a few ground cherries thrown in with the tomatoes? You could also pickle those ground cherries like tiny tomatoes to intensify that sweet-sour contrast. They'd be great in a salad, or in a pasta salad, too. Try them any of those ways, but just make sure to try them.

Fresh ground cherries store well in a cool area within their husks for up to three months. The berries can be stored in a refrigerator for two to three weeks. The berries can be frozen on a baking sheet, transferred to a freezer bag or box, and kept frozen for six months.

The seed kernel is ground to a powder before use. Its flavour is similar to a combination of bitter almond and cherry, and similar also to marzipan. Mahleb is used in small quantities to sharpen sweet foods and cakes, and is used in production of tresse cheese.