The cherry-sized, bright orange-red physalis with the characteristic brown covering can be found in supermarkets almost all year round. However, hardly anyone knows that the plant, also known as Cape gooseberry or Andean berry, can be grown in the home garden and even on the balcony with little effort.
Physalis grows on the bush
The physalis - botanically correct it is called physalis peruviana - does not grow on trees, but on herbaceous shrubs that are about one to one and a half meters high. These are richly and extensively branched, have angular stems that often tinge with purple and have a strong tendency to proliferate. The bell-shaped flowers grow individually at the forking of the stems and in the leaf axils. After flowering, the outer sepals enlarge to form the typical egg-shaped (or lantern-like) shell. Physalis belongs to the nightshade family and is closely related to tomatoes. As a result, the plants can be grown anywhere where the cultivation of tomatoes is possible.
Physalis annual or perennial?
Since the Andean berry germinates and develops fruit within one growing season, in this country it is treated like the tomato as an annual plant. In fact, the plant is perennial and can be overwintered without any problems.
Fruits are real vitamin bombs
The very vitamin-rich fruits ripen about three to four months after sowing, which is why Physalis should be brought forward as early as possible. A plant can produce more than 300 berries, which - harvested and left in their calyxes - can be kept refrigerated for several weeks. The round berries are about one to two centimeters in size and have a firm, smooth skin. Inside are numerous lenticular seeds. Ripe Andean berries can be recognized by the rapidly drying straw-yellow cups and the strong colour. The orange-yellow flesh is firm, juicy, sweet and sour and very aromatic. Unripe fruits are considered poisonous.
Ideas for using ripe fruit
- Eat raw and fresh from the bush
- Dry physalis like raisins
- popular ingredient for fruit salads, puddings, ice cream and other desserts
- boil down
- process into jam, jelly or chutney
- steamed with sugar and honey, the berries make a tasty dessert
tips and tricks
The species-rich genus "Physalis" includes a number of other taxa, some of whose fruits can be used as fruit or vegetables. This also includes the little-known species Physalis ixocarpa (tomatillo, Mexican ground cherry) or Physalis pruinosa (pineapple cherry).
IJA