A glossy orange fruit with similar size, shape and structure to a small cherry tomato and contained in a papery shell that looks a bit like a Chinese lamp. An associate of the nightshade relations, it is mainly grown in Colombia and South Africa.
Appearance-
The Physalis fruit is closely related to the tomato varieties in appearance. The plant is an annual with a much branched, spreading form, and a rank, feeble looking appearance. It grows to 3-6 ft in height and falls over the land and sprawls on the ground if not given support. The flowers are yellow in color with purple markings and yield to the Physalis fruit which is technically a berry, as the tomato fruit. The fruit expands inside a green and purple bladder-like calyx that looks like a small Chinese lantern hanging from the stem. It looks much like a small green tomato, 1-3 in diameter, but the Physalis has a drier texture and a distinctive flavor unlike tomato.
Taste-The Chinese lantern plant, the Physalis fruit is also called the winter cherry or bladder cherry; and is a member of the potato family. Usually the fruit ripens around the month of Halloween, the Chinese lantern plant is used commonly for decorative purposes and also cropped for its fruit. The fruit contains twice the amount of Vitamin C as that in lemons and looks like a blonde-red cherry tomato with a sweeter taste relative to the tomatillo.
The plant have an extended record of herbal use, and an interesting chemistry for the fruit physalis, but it is rarely used in modern practice .The whole plant have a antiphlogistic, antipyretic, antitussive and expectorant. This fruit has been used in the treatment of urinary and skin diseases. The fruit is an aperients, that is strongly diuretic and lithontripic. It is used inside in the treatment of gravel, suppression of urine etc and is greatly recommended in fevers and in gout. The fruit is cropped when the fruit is fully ripe and can be used fresh, juiced or dried.
The calyx should be removed. The leaves and stems are to be febrifuge and slightly tonic. They are used in the treatment of the depression that follows malaria. The fresh leaves of the fruit have been used externally to make calming poultices in the treatment of skin inflammations. The seed is used to promote early labor.
It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It flowers from July to October, and the fruits ripen from August to November. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, wind.
The plant favors like light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, it requires well-drained soil to grow and it can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Plants are usually small, only 1-3ft in height. The plant favors acid, neutral and alkaline soils and it can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils as well. It can grow in semi-shade or no shadow.
Plants are aggressive and best kept out of the permanent border fruit .Also can be grown in tubs. Small white flowers appear in midsummer and it has both male and female organs. Shells are green in color at first, but it should be harvested when the color changes to orange from green, the leaves naked then stems hung upside down to dry in a warm dark room. The plant flowers blooms from July to October and its seeds are ripening from the month of August to November.
The plant is an annual with a much branched but weak looking appearance. It is a climber and hence falls flat on the ground if there is no support for it to climb. These plants have a very attractive appearance which looks likes jug and another specialty of this fruit is it doesn’t change its color even if it’s cut.
Cape gooseberry is one of the Physalis fruit varieties and it is native to Chile and Peru, this nightshade berry is for only commercial production in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. It is a supplementary crop in South America and hardly ever seen in North America. Cape gooseberry can also grow in warmer climates and it is better as the plants can take only a couple degrees of ice. Mature fruits of cape are always between 1/2 and 3/4 inches in diameter.
The main commercial uses of Cape gooseberry are as preserved fruit and for making a simple jam, but fancy imaginary restaurants often use these fruits as an exotic garnish. The berries, left in their husks, store well, over a month in cool dry conditions.
Caution: The unripe fruits are toxic so eat that no green berries. Click here to know more about Cape Gooseberry.
Tomatillos are variety of Physalis fruit native to Mexico and well cropped by the Aztecs. The first proof of cultivation is from around 800 BC but it was almost certainly grown distant earlier than that.
Tomatillos are harvested when they are still unripe and light green in color and used at that stage of ripeness. This variety of the fruit is commonly sold in Southern California and it looks yellow in color when fully ripe but there are some varieties that ripen to red and purple. Much used in Mexican green sauces as it tastes both sweet and and the original taste of the tart is also retained. There is no acceptable replacement.
This variety is naturally found from Southern Europe to Japan, this Physalis is mainly used for decorative purposes and not been used as food, at least not in the modern times.
It can tolerate much colder winters than most Physalis fruit.
Physalis fruit is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron, calcium and trace amounts of B vitamins. These have been used as a diuretic in traditional medicine, although there is no scientific data to support this.
200 ml muscat wine or Sauternes wine (sweet aromatic wine)
Method :
Pre heat oven to 230°C Put the onions in a roasting pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and toss to coat. roast for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, pat dry the beef fillet with kitchen paper, rub with 1 tbsp oil and season well. At this stage you may want to tie the fillet with kitchen yarn at regular intervals but it's not essential.
Heat a heavy base frying pan and fry the beef for about 5 minutes till it becomes brown on all sides. Transfer the beef into the pan with fried onions and roast for 15 minutes. This depends on how thick the beef is and on personal preference.
Transfer the meat, onions and fruit to a warm serving dish and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Now it is ready to be served.
A very simple, sophisticated use for the tropical fruit also known as 'chocolate pudding fruit'.
Ingredients:
185g/ 1 cup caster sugar
75ml/ 5 tbsp water
4 of passion fruit and physalis
1 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
150ml/ 2/3 cup of double cream
150ml/ 2/3 cup creamy milk
Method:
Place 150g/ 5 oz cup of the caster sugar in a heavy-based saucepan.
Add the water and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Increase the heat and boil until the syrup turns a dark golden color.
Meanwhile, cut each passion fruit in half.
Scoop out the seeds into a sieve set over a bowl.
Press the seeds against the sieve to extract all their juice.
Spoon a few of the seeds into each of four 150ml/ 2/3 cup ramekins.
Set the juice aside.
Peel back the papery casing from each physalis and dip the orange berries into the caramel.
Place on a sheet of non-stick baking paper and set aside.
Pour the remaining caramel carefully into the ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°FI.
Blend together the eggs, egg yolks and the sugar. In another bowl whisk in the cream and milk and then add the passion fruit juice to the mixture.
Strain through a sieve into each ramekin, and then place the ramekins in a baking pan.
,
Pour in hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until just set.
Now remove the prepared custard from the pan and allow it to cool and then freeze them for atleast 4 hours before serving.
Invert and place each ramekin and the custard on a dessert plate by running a knife between the edges of each ramekin.
Shake the ramekins a little so that the custard inside is released before it is served.
Decorate each with the caramel dipped physalis.
Serve it!
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Reviewed By: bettie rowe
Comments: Experienced this fruit for the first time on
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Physalis Recipe
