This year I grew a plant that I've never heard of, let alone seen in my local grocery store. The seed packet I bought called the plant by the name Goldenberry, but I've since learned that Goldenberry is synonymous with Cape Gooseberry and Peruvian Ground Cherry. Are any of these names familiar to you?
The Goldenberry is a relative of the tomato and needs very similar growing conditions. The plants grow in a mounded 2-3 foot tall shrub, which later spreads and sprawls a bit as the plant gets weighed down by fruit and foliage.
Goldenberry produces numerous paper lanterns each containing a juicy berry.
I was very surprised by the prolific nature of this plant. Production didn't slow down even when the foliage was being feasted on by flea beetles and other leaf munchers.
When the paper lanterns begin to dry out, the fruit is ready to pick.
The berries have a taste all their own. There's a faint tomato flavor, but there is also something distinctly tropical and exotic about them. I bet they would make excellent jam, but they're good for just popping in your mouth too. If you're looking for something new for next year's veggie garden, consider giving Goldenberry a try.
Oh how I'd love to get my lens on them! Love, love, love those papery husks. I've never heard of this plant...I'll file it away in my 'good to know' file ;)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely... those little papery lanterns would make excellent subjects for your awesome photography skills.
DeleteThose are cute little berries and husks. Good for you for trying something unusual.
ReplyDeleteI will definitely grow these again in the future when I have more time to make jam. I can imagine that flavor on a piece of toast. Yum.
Deleteintriguing. very intriguing. my favorite "odd" thing to grow is ginger...or maybe that's not so odd. I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteI've been buying ginger root lately for tea. It would definitely be cool to grow my own. I'll have to pick your brain sometime.
DeleteThose are so unusual, they remind me of tomatillos a little bit. They're very pretty suspended in their little lantern costumes!
ReplyDeleteThey do look very similar to tomatillos. The similarity created a little confusion for me at first. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when they started looking like little tomatillos, but it's all part of the adventure of growing something new.
DeleteI don't think I've ever heard of these.
ReplyDeleteGood for you for trying something new.
I guess I should mention that I also tried a red foot long bean that I thought would be real cool. Unfortunately, it looked way better than it tasted. Sometimes that's how it goes.
DeleteThey do make for an interesting plant. I think I may have mentioned that I grew these in my young gardening days in Canada. I think they must have been a disappointment to me at the time. Now I see them used only as decoration on desserts. They may have been also have been a different variety as they were quite orange when ripe. Maybe I will give them a try next year. My tastes may have changed.
ReplyDeleteIf you decide to grow some, let me know how yours turn out. So far I would say that this plant really seems to like our Texas climate. After the initial harvest, things slowed down a bit, but more fruit is forming for a second harvest. I'm amazed that it can set fruit in this heat, but maybe it set during the rainy period earlier in the month.
DeleteI grew ground cherries last year that looked a lot like these, but the plant was much lower and hugged the ground - hince the name I guess.
ReplyDeleteI loved them. Every day I would eat all the ripe ones for an afterwork snack.
I tried to grow some this year, but the snails got all my seedlings.
Did you direct sow, or start seedlings?
Cindy S.
I started the seedlings indoors and planted them as transplants. In a strange twist of events... I misplaced the Ground Cherry seeds you gave me. I eventually found them in with the corks, but meanwhile I had already bought the Goldenberry seeds at Bright Ideas. I was looking for something different to plant, and the owner recommended the Goldenberry seeds. I didn't realize Ground Cherry and Goldenberry where pretty much the same. It's seems I was destined to grow these this year no matter what.
DeleteI grew up in South Carolina and Golden Berries were a favorite of my siblings and me. I never knew what they were called we just ate them with pleasure. They grew wild all across the fields. After becoming an adult I often wondered what the berries were called. I also, longed to have that taste again but never knew how to find out what they were called until I saw Dr.Oz Show. He was talking about how to blast Belly fat and listed Golden Berries as one of the ways to do it. I looked up Golden Berry and the plant and lo and behold it was one and the same berries I ate as a child. I ordered dried berries to eat and seeds to plant this Spring 2013.
ReplyDeleteM. Cooper
hi I am nurul azmi from Indonesia .. I am want to learn farming golden berry .. because in I am place the fruit is not in use ... so I am'm golden berry cultivation guide book is. the fruit marketing like where??? please replay..this is my email nurul475@gmail.com..thanks
ReplyDelete