Ground cherries are a ½ to ¾ inch fruit encased in a papery husk, kind of like a tomatillo. They are ripe when the husk dries and falls from the plant, inside of which is the fruit ranging from a pale green to deep golden color. While ground cherries are in the nightshade family, they are not as susceptible to diseases found in other nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, etc.) They also grow well in poor soils and in containers.

I am growing two varieties of ground cherry this year, Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry, a Polish heirloom and a mystery variety a friend gave me. They are both in the unamended brick bed (you can see the Aunt Molly’s in the corner here.) I started harvesting that one this week and I have to say it is… interesting.

The fruit smells a bit like a pineapple and has kind of a refreshingly acidic flavor. Apparently they store for 3-4 weeks in the husk so may try collect enough to make a small tart which apparently enhances their flavor. I think that this is one of those fruits that you either like or you don’t and I’m honestly not overwhelmingly impressed with them. They aren’t awful by any stretch of the imagination, they just taste too… clean? for me. They look gorgeous though and I might stick them in the dehydrator to dry up the fruit and use them for decorating.