Cape gooseberries —sometimes called “goldenberries”—are small fruits that are about the size of a grape, perfectly round and are opaque orange in color. They’re part of the
What is the difference between a gooseberry and a cape gooseberry?
While gooseberry is in the name of this fruit, cape gooseberries are not gooseberries. Instead they are a nightshade and are closely related to the tomatillo. Because the cape gooseberry is a nightshade (click here to see a list of nightshades), they are not permitted on the AIP (Paleo autoimmune protocol) diet.
What does a Cape gooseberry look like?
The fruit itself looks like a small, golden-yellow tomato, and is enclosed by a papery casing, like a Chinese lantern, that grows around the fruit as it forms. The casing is green at first, fading to a light brown as the fruit ripens. If kept inside its casing, a cape gooseberry can keep for up to 45 days.
Are all cape gooseberries edible?
Cape gooseberries are flexible: they can be consumed raw or cooked, and they work well in savory and sweet dishes. Add ground cherries to a green salad, salsa, relish, or chutney. Their husks aren’t edible, but keep them on — just peeled back (1) — and they’re ready to be dipped in chocolate or used as a garnish.
How can you tell a gooseberry?
Gooseberry has lobed leaves with deeply toothed edges. The leaf veins are palmate. The flower appear singularly or in pairs from the base of the leaves and are a discreet green-colour.
How poisonous are cape gooseberries?
The unripe fruit, leaves, and flowers of cape gooseberry are poisonous to humans. The plant is also poisonous to dogs and cats. Consumption or contact with skin can result in collapse, dilated pupils, diarrhea, low body temperature, seizures, and vomiting.
Are cape gooseberries supposed to be sticky?
Cape gooseberries are globular fruits, averaging 1 to 2 centimeters in diameter, and are encased in a green to tan, papery husk that forms an inflated, lantern shape. The skin of the fruit is initially waxy and slightly sticky when removed from the husk, giving way to a smooth and taut consistency.
Does cape gooseberry have thorns?
The Cape gooseberry is more like a tomatillo in flavor and looks (but much sweeter). It would make a savory pie, like a pot pie. It has no thorns.
How do you know when a cape gooseberry is ripe?
You will know Cape Gooseberries are ready to harvest when the papery husk dries out. Changing from green to a light brown color. Sometimes the berry can drop from the bush unnoticed and be found under the plant. If the husk is still intact then the fruit should still be good to eat.
What are cape gooseberries good for?
Incorporating them in your diet can give you these health benefits. Cape gooseberries are a good source of vitamin C, which can help boost your immunity and is also good for your skin. Eases digestion Cape gooseberries are also rich in fibre, which helps prevents constipation. It also calms the gastro-intestinal tract.
Can you eat unripe cape gooseberries?
The Cape gooseberry is yet another delicious and nutritious member of the abundant Solanaceae family and like other members the unripe fruit, leaves and flowers are poisonous.
Are cape gooseberries toxic to dogs?
No, cape gooseberry are unsafe for dogs to eat. Unripened cape gooseberries and the plant’s leaves and flowers contain alkaloids, which are highly poisonous to dogs.
Are wild gooseberries poisonous?
Both the American gooseberry, Ribes hirtellum, and the European gooseberry, Ribes grossularia, grow in areas with cool, humid summers that chill adequately in the winter. All gooseberry plants have thorns to some degree, but none have been reported as poisonous.
Is Wild Gooseberry safe to eat?
These purple berries look like grapes but contain toxic compounds in the roots, leaves, stem, and fruit. This plant tends to get more toxic as it matures, and eating the berries is potentially fatal ( 52 ).
Do all gooseberries have thorns?
Currants and gooseberries can be easily distinguished by the presence or absence of thorns; gooseberries usually have thorns, while currants do not. Ribes plants are long-lived perennial shrubs that are cold-hardy, some to USDA Zone 2.
Are ground cherries the same as cape gooseberries?
Ground Cherries (Physalis species), are also known as cape gooseberries, husk tomatoes, sweet tomatillos and poha berry. Each different variety has its own unique taste, but for the most part, they taste like a cross between pineapple, citrus, and strawberries.
Do you prune cape gooseberry?
Although often grown as an annual it is a perennial and as such can be pruned back after cropping, cutting out any dead growth and given a mulch of broken down manure. During the growing season, tip prune to encourage bushy growth.
Where do cape gooseberries grow?
The cape gooseberry is an annual in temperate regions and a perennial in the tropics. In Venezuela, it grows wild in the Andes and the coastal range between 2,500 and 10,000 ft (800-3,000 m). It grows wild in Hawaii at 1,000 to 8,000 ft (300-2,400 m).
Why are my gooseberries slimy?
It is normal for golden berries to be slimy. High weight sugars that protect the growing berry contribute to an oily skin texture. Linoleic acid and seed oil enhance the sticky, slimy surface of golden berries.
How big do cape gooseberry bushes grow?
The Cape gooseberry (Physalis edulis) is a quick-growing annual or perennial fruit plant that originates in South America. It has been grown extensively in many parts of South Africa for the little golden berries that are produced in abundance, on bushes that can reach a height of about 1m.
Do gooseberry bushes spread?
ANSWER: The spread of a gooseberry bush depends on the variety. As an average they spread about 1.2m / 4ft wide. If you prune them hard the spread can be reduced slightly but not by much.
Justin Shelton is a professional cook. He’s been in the industry for over 10 years, and he loves nothing more than creating delicious dishes for others to enjoy. Justin has worked in some of the best kitchens in the country, and he’s always looking for new challenges and ways to improve his craft. When he’s not cooking, Justin enjoys spending time with his wife and son. He loves exploring new restaurants and trying out different cuisines.