(Physalis sp)

We were introduced to this tasty variety of groundcherry in the form of a delicious gelato at the Culinary Breeding Network’s January 2020 Variety Showcase in Portland, Oregon. Seed grower Nate Kleinman of the Experimental Farm Network brought this variety, along with other edible treasures, to be turned into culinary magic by chef Sandro Paolini of Pinolo Gelato.

Nate Kleinman received seed for this variety from fruits being sold at a roadside stand in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, from a woman named Mary who had been growing and saving her own seed of this delicious groundcherry for many years.

The small gold and orange fruits are refreshing, sweet, and tangy with notes of pineapple and vanilla and other pleasant flavors. They are sweetest when large and golden, but we also enjoy them when they are green and sour.

Groundcherries are rich in vitamin C, beta carotene, and dietary fiber, with some B vitamins and a small amount of fat from the seeds. The ripe fruits are a wonderful snack in the garden, make delicious pies, and are a good addition to a salad. When our plants produce more than we need, they also became snacks for our chickens.

We were looking for a variety of groundcherry to grow in Utah, and being very impressed with the flavor of this variety we gave it a try. These plants thrived in our hot and dry climate with moderate watering and grew to 3 feet tall with a 4 foot spread — apparently much taller than the ground-hugging form they take in the milder summers of Ontario. The plants could easily be pruned to fit any number of growing spaces and would make an excellent patio garden plant. They are productive throughout the season until the first frost.

The abundant marble-sized golden fruits are easy to pull from their husks when ripe and will fall to the ground beneath the plant in great numbers. This plant may be a good candidate for growing with some sort of groundcloth for easy and clean harvesting of these bountiful fruits.

Seeds germinate quickly on bottom heat like tomatoes, though they will start a bit slower without it.

Packet: 50 seeds