I have something new in my garden this year and I just tried it for the first time the other day, ground cherries! I honestly had never heard of them before this year. When Earl’s Mom visited us for the week from California she spoiled us by getting us some extra plants for our gardens and flowers for the yard among other things. One of the plants she picked out was the ground cherries. I had never heard of them. They are also referred to as Strawberry husk tomatoes.
They are so yummy! They actually taste a bit like strawberries, it’s really incredible. They have this beautifully unique taste that I got instantly hooked on.
They look a bit like tomatillos but are much smaller in size. You can see in the picture above that they are smaller than my thumb. They grow on a plant that is similar to a tomato plant but it doesn’t grow tall it gets wider so if you plant them make sure you give them plenty of room. I’ve heard they can get up to four feet wide and three feet tall! They make these beautiful golden cherry tomatoes that are tart but sweet? They would make an amazing jam! You can use them in savory dishes as well. They are really unique!
When they grow they are inside these really pretty lantern husks like you see above. You peel them back to reveal the berry inside. What I love about these is when they are ripe they just fall off! No guessing on when they are ready! I’ve been waiting for them to drop every day and they are gone as soon as I get them! Apparently the variety that I have of the ones you see above were popular with the Pilgrims. Interesting right?
Have a magickal day!
Much Love and Many Blessings,
Jasmeine Moonsong