Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Physalis peruviana or Cape Gooseberry



These berries grow wild at high altitudes in Peru and Ecuador, were grown before 1807 at the Cape of Good Hope and from whence they were exported to Australia, England...

Mildly tart, and very pleasing to our pallet is this citrusy pineapple-flavored burst of wonderful!

Like the tomatillo, its relative, it has a papery calyx that turns yellow to gray when the fruit is ripe. In picking them off the vine, merely place your finger at the top of the mature shell, give it a little squeeze and if ripe, the fruit will release.

Nothing to do but pop one in your mouth for a burst of great flavor. Dip them in chocolate, make jam, jelly, into a salad, or as we did, make a quick sauce to server alongside a pork roast. Delish! 

Physalis or Cape Gooseberry Sauce from Diana's kitchen
 
1  1/4 pound berries
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup raw unfiltered honey or brown sugar
1/2 stick of cinnamon
 2-3 whole cloves
pinch of salt

Place all ingredients into a saucepan. Bring to a slight boil, and with the lid on, simmer for about 5 minutes until the berries begin to collapse. Remove the lid and allow to cook until desired thickness, 10-15 minutes. Discard clove and cinnamon.
 
Note: there is a natural sweetness and wonderful flavor about these, so I chose not to mask that.

PS: thank you, Julio for bringing these seeds back from Germany and allowing us to experience them