I picked this in the U-pick section of our CSA this week. I’ve never had them before and never heard of them before either! They are also called ground cherries. Inside that brown husk is a tiny fruit that is like a small cherry tomato. It’s almost like a cross between a cherry and a tomato in flavor. Some of them are quite sweet, while others are sour, which I find perplexing, because I’m not really able to tell which will be which!
We only have a small amount of these, so we’re eating them raw, but I think they would make a really nice quick sauce for pasta if you cooked a bunch of them down with some olive oil.
Have you tried husk cherries?
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I’m growing them in my garden. They’re thriving. Here’ they’re called poha berry. I’ve yet to do anything beyond eating them fresh, though they’re supposed to make an awesome jam.
Sounds like a perfect flavor infusion for an oil or a vinegar.
Yes, I think that would be interesting, although they are very mild.
I will look forward to reading about them on your blog when you do use them! I think they must be a relative of the tomatillo because they look almost the same, just smaller.
Hmm, never had these, I have never even seen them. They remind me of a tomitillo.
Never heard of them. Thanks for the introduction!
You do have tomatillos on your hands. You’re going to love them. You can use them raw and whole (husks removed) to make quick salsas–or boil them, roast them, they’re pretty hardy.
Was just going to ask if they’re tomatillos. I haven’t tried them, but see them at the co-op all the time.
The CSA calls them husk cherries and they also have tomatillos, so I think they are a different variety that grows smaller.
They look like cape gooseberries to me. Here in New Zealand they are often found in cottage type gardens and were brought from England when NZ was colonised.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_gooseberry