Ground cherries are unusual crops that are related to tomatoes. They make delicious snacks and taste like pineapple! The fruits grow in husks, much like tomatillos.
Harvest:
Ground cherries are unusual to harvest insofar as they are fully ripe after they’re fallen off the plant. Search around the plant for husks with no holes and a fruit that almost fills it all the way out. Harvesting fruit off the plant may give you tart fruit.
End of the harvest:
Ground cherries will not make it past the first frost but we usually remove them from our gardens before then.
Storage and handling:
Ground cherries have an amazing shelf life. Leave ground cherries in their husks in a cool, dry place with ventilation - the may store up to 3 months!
Recipes:
Enjoy ground cherries as a sweet snack, add to a fruit salad, or, if you have a bumper crop, make ground cherry jam!