husk cherries or ground cherries or cape gooseberries, these sweet little morsels have as many names as they do flavors. ask four different people what they taste after biting into the tiny orange globe and each will likely say something different: strawberry or pineapple, tomato or apple. suffice to say, willy wonka would be impressed.
a member of the nightshade family, and a close cousin to the tomatillo, these guys are sometimes referred to as husk cherry tomatoes and can be used in savory chutneys or salsas as well as in sweet treats.
we’ve been eating tomatoes by the fistful around here, so i opted for something that would play up the husk cherries’ natural sweetness. even with cooler evenings, our tiny apartment is still doing a terrific job at trapping heat. a quick compote over ice cream seemed like the perfect compromise.
after removing the papery husks, i had about a cup of fruit to work with. the technique is simple enough: a cup of husk cherries plopped into a sauce pan with a 1/4 cup of sugar and the juice of half a lemon. i let the whole mess simmer until all of the little globes had burst and melted into each other. after cooking, i added just a few drops of pure vanilla extract and spooned the concoction over my all time favorite vanilla ice cream.
hot and cold, sweet and sour, it’s the perfect dessert for the last weeks of summer. and easier than pie.
21 Comments
Look so yummy!
I have never hear of them, thanks for the intro I will be in search of these at the farmers market tomorrow.
I must try them!
Xx
Callie
oooh so nice! x
i have seen these before but never knew what they were so thanks for the info! great pictures too x
I've never seen these before!! This looks so good!
Wow, this is looks so delicious, I have to try this! yum!
What a lovely twist on an ice cream Sunday!
Looks delicious! I have to try. Thanks for sharing
gorgeous, as always!
Oh Erin. I'll be RIGHT over. Save some for me. 😉
Ground cherries grew wild where my mom grew up but I've never managed to find them in the woods or grocery. 🙁
i have never heard of these—how interesting! i'll be on the lookout for them now 🙂
I've seen these before as decoration on a cake, but never knew you could eat them 🙂 Looks yummy!
This is sounds amazing! I see those at the supermarket but I never know what to do with them… maybe I should try this!
That looks amazing!
I had never heard of tomatillos till this summer, and I can't get over how beautiful they are. I've always found the perfect roundness of little tomatoes so satisfying – but then these have the leaf like outer layer that makes them look like a lantern!
These photos are really done me in … and I haven't even tasted one yet.
Looks amazing, I'm having a huge family gathering at the weekend, this would be perfect. Love the presentation also! xx
at-rubik.blogspot.com
So glad I popped in today and came across this recipe. It looks divine, and I have a big bowl of these little gems just harvested from my garden.
I'm going to have to send this to my mother because it's something my siblings would love. The presentation is beautiful as well. 🙂
you know what…a lot of that in my hometown in panay island in the philippines and it is everywhere ..and sad to say i dont like the taste….cuz its somewhat like a tomato and it is sweet..but we love to collect it…and my other siblings eat it…but i dont…
you know what…a lot of that in my hometown in panay island in the philippines and it is everywhere ..and sad to say i dont like the taste….cuz its somewhat like a tomato and it is sweet..but we love to collect it…and my other siblings eat it…but i dont…
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