Discover Ground Cherries: A Summer Delight

Another summer crop to eat by the handful: ground cherries.

Presented to us in little paper lanterns, the tomatillo relative offers a kaleidoscope of flavors. Imagine biting into a cherry tomato injected with the flavors of pineapple juice, the essence of vanilla and the mild taste of melon all blurred together in one heavenly bite. It is some sort of healthy gusher dream come true.

The marble-sized ground cherries (aka husk cherries or cape gooseberries) offer up the same healthy dose of nutrition as tomatoes. The low-calorie orange gem is a perfect healthy snack to protect you against sneaky summer colds because of the high vitamin C content and is an optimal food to nosh on for good eyesight (from the vitamin A boost). Coming from someone who is constantly looking for new guilt-free snacks, husk berries are a welcome addition into my foodie repertoire. Plus, who doesn’t love the act of unwrapping presents like it is Christmas in July!?

Husk cherries keep much longer than the berry sized fruit you are used to. When kept in their husk, a ground cherry should stay fresh for several weeks when stored in your fridge or left on the counter. You can also freeze them for up to 6 months and enjoy them when you are daydreaming of summer.

So what can you do with a handful of husk cherries? The small orange berries work great in both sweet and savory dishes. Here are some dynamite pairing ideas:

  • Since ground cherries are a relative to the tomatillo husk cherry salsa is definitely in order.
  • Sweet tooth sneak up on you? Dip the petite cherry-tomato hybrid in chocolate. Ohmygod.
  • Traditionally the golden summer fruit can be found in pies. Vegan Yum Yum made ground cherry cupcake pies that make husk cherries look even cuter than they already are.
  • Brighten up your toast with a piece of ground cherry bread via the recipe on Jennah’s Garden. Imagine the caped gooseberries in bread pudding.
  • These babies are RAW-MAZING so add them to a salad and toss with a summer vinaigrette or get fancy with a husk cherry waldorf salad. Will be a great addition if you are participating in Run to the Finish’s Clean Eating Challenge!

This is an obscure piece of summer produce you should be eating!

And you’ve been looking in the trees for cherries all these years…

P.S. The Weekly Bite is getting a makeover. Here is a SNEAK PEAK of a challenge you must participate in! Details to come!

What would you PAIR with a husk cherry? What summer food are you crushing on? Please leave your comments below!

Feature photo Courtesy of Pen Waggener via Flickr (CC BY 3.0)
Photo 2 courtesy of karendotcom127 via Flickr (CC BY 3.0)

7 COMMENTS

  1. Frieda

    Groovy little fruit that prior to your article I knew nothing about. After reading your post I want to search for these cuties! I wonder if they would be as delightful in my juicer to create a salad dressing as bing cherries are? hmmm, adding this to my to-do list 🙂

  2. Jana

    I haven’t heard of ground cherries either! However, as far a crushing on a fruit this summer, my fridge has been full of Ranier Cherries all season. I also have a garden full of cherry tomatoes. Since these are two of my summer time favorite treats I have a feeling the ground cherry is right up my ally. Keeping an eye out for this one.