Don’t worry, I’m still going to post my review on The French Laundry, but I discovered these Ground Husk Cherry Tomatoes on Monday, right after getting back from California, and I just can’t wait to post this anymore. These are the best things since sliced bread, the coolest farmer’s market discovery, the bomb diggity!
These are tomatoes. They have a paper like pouch around them, similar to tomatillos, but these are really small, about 1/2″ diameter (without outer layer).
Opening each one is like a little present. Most of them are a beautiful golden color, but they range from yellow to orange, sometimes with a peachy tinge or green tinge.
When you slip one into your mouth (don’t eat the paper-y layer), the skin is smooth and taught, like any other cherry tomato, but it bursts with a vengeance, and floods your mouth with tomato and mango juices, blessed by a tropical sun. Yea, it tastes like it’s been injected with mango juice, fortified with sunshine! It’s sweet, almost candy-like. It blows my mind, and Lon’s. He took some to work to share with co-workers. If I was rich, I’d mail packages of these to everyone I know, but I’m not so you’ll have to buy it at the farmer’s market. I got it at Yuno’s Farm for $5 per pint. Next time I’m getting the quart for $8. I saw another vendor selling it today too (don’t know which one).
Put out a bowl of Ground Husk Cherries at your next party. They would be a great conversation starters and they’re way healthier than chips.
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Wow, I’d never heard of these before, but they sound AMAZING!
I saw them at the Union Sq green market one weekend, I even took a picture. I thought they were gooseberries lols
Those sound really neat!
i saw these at the farmer’s market the other day and wondered what i would make with them
Great recipe & pictures…looks beautiful & so tempting 🙂
Diana, look for them. Search near and far. They are worth the hunt.
Wonders, next time you see them, buy them!
justcooknyc, I haven’t gotten over eating them as is yet, but I’ll be making a recipe with them next week. Let me know what you make with them.
I was just enjoying the last of my husk cherry tomatoes as I clicked on this post – how weird!! I got some in my CSA share last week, and have been enjoying their interesting flavors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Gooseberry or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis
There’s quite a lot of names for them! If you can’t find them, you can look out for them under other names. The first time I saw them was in Sweden used as a garnish–they call them physalis.
These sound so wonderful. I’m going to have to hunt for them.
Got one from Lon..
Took some from Sophia today..
I think I’m going to have to buy some soon.
I could eat them all day!!!!!
So sweet! We had a bunch of these this summer, but most people out here consider them the defective tomato. I love them–I usually mix them with cottage cheese and maple syrup as part of my lunch (I know this sounds gross, but it’s excellent, I swear)
You got these in NY? Wow, I wonder if the markets in Berkeley have them – I’ve never seen them before. I am definitely going to ask around. I love the first picture, the tomato looks like it’s going to fly away.
We know them by another name & they are usually served with or in desserts.
We call them Physalis!
Katie, what a great CSA!
cupcakesplease and sophie, how interesting and confusing. When I bought them, the lady (must be new, never saw her before) told me they were hull tomatoes ( I even asked her to spell it) but then I couldn’t find hull tomato anywhere. It took me a while to find ground husk cherry…
Wonders, turns out you were right! I had only had under-riped gooseberries before, small white ones that were peeled already, so I didn’t know they were the same thing.
EMC, defective tomato? What an insult to these amazing whatever they are.hahaha Cottage cheese and maple syrip doesn’t sound bad. I’d probably do yogurt.
Allison, I love that photo too but tastespotting and foodgawker did not. =(
These I would love to buy, I looked for an outlet & all I could find is that they were introduced to America in 1976, by Thompson & Morgan of England… they’ve got to be here somewhere, so off on a tomato hunt Saturday lol
Les, I hope you find them! Can’t wait to hear what you think. Everyone I have given it to has reacted so dramatically. It’s so fun!
I grew these last year, and this year they have taken over the garden. They’re like weeds, I kid you not! At this point, I’d like to never see a pineapple tomatillo again. But yes, they do taste pretty good in small doses.
Geen, where do you live and can I have some of your surplus? Start selling them. They go for $5 per pint over here.
Hey there, Jessica! Thanks for coming over and commenting on my blog about the beet cake/pictures. I finally got over here to check out your great blog. Good stuff!
Wanted to comment on this post in particular because I’m a big “ground cherry” fan. That’s what we call them here in PA where they’ve been a favorite of Amish folks, particularly in homemade pies. They do have a lot of names, but their botanical latin name is “Physalis pruinosa” so that should help anyone looking to buy seeds and grow their own. They are very easy to grow…so much so that, yes, they become weeds after awhile. But, if you grow them in a container on a patio, they’re not nearly as invasive and one healthy plant will give you more than enough fruit for fresh eating and baking. By the way, while they are in the same family, ground cherries are not actually a tomato (“Lycopersicon esculentum”). Sorry, I’m a plant geek so I like to clarify so folks can get the right seeds/plants since this particular plant has so many regional common names.
Anyway…enough of the latin names. Here are some links for anyone looking for more info, both for growing and using this delicious fruit! My favorite way to eat them is raw still. Nature’s candy!!
http://straightfromthefarm.net/2008/09/18/ground-cherry-pie-recipe/
http://pgjennielove.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/ground-cherries/
http://pgjennielove.wordpress.com/2008/09/16/lessons-learned-ground-cherries/
Cheers,
Jennie @ Straight from the Farm
Jennie, one day when I have some sunlight, I am totally going to grow a pot of ground cherries. Thanks for the plant lesson. Are tomatillos also not tomatoes? I am hoping to learn more about growing/planting one day but living in NYC makes that tough. In the meantime, I will be living vicariously through visits to your blog.
OMG, found these at the farmers market in Union Sq today, these are SOOOO amazingly good!!! I bought a pint for $4
This is not a tomato.. it is a berry!
One of its many names is Capuli !
It’s also called Golden Berry :]
They are very good!!!
I know these from living in Egypt. They are in season in Egypt in early spring and we eat them like crazy. They are exactly as she describes and we consider them a fruit here. They are called “Harunkish” in arabic (spelled with english letters)! I have no idea what they are called in english, so this was fun to discover 🙂
I am growing these now and they are so easy,they grow with the vigor of a weed.I love them sooooo much,so doese my 4 year old son! and the yield is incredible!!!!!
Tom, I’m jealous! I wonder if I can grow these in a pot?
Jessica:
I just got some of these from my CSA today and you what they remind me of? Cap’n Crunch Crunchberries!!! They called them Ground Cherries so perhaps that tainted my tastebuds… Reading your description of them as tomatoes might change the taste again. 🙂 You can grow them in pots, I’m thinking about trying it next year.
Cheers!
Kris
K, I don’t think I’ve ever had Cap’n Crunch Berries. I’m assuming they have artificial coloring so I won’t be trying it. I hear they are very easy to grow so I may do the pot thing too. Let me know how it goes.
I only just found out about the husk cherry tommatoe when I asked the seed company if I could eat them – after growing them since spring. And what a wonderful surprise! I ate them all and thanked the Lord for such a wonder gift! Next year, I will plant dozens of these!
Steve, before planting a lot of them, you should see how fast they spread. I heard they grow like crazy weed, which in this case, is a good thing. =)
These are like my chinese lanterns which have a red fruit inside that is also good to eat, and yes,they self seed and will spead ,and they also make great dried arrangments for the house
How long will these last once husked? In the fridge or on the counter?
Anonymous – Good question, we don’t know for sure, they don’t last long around here 🙂 According to Wikipedia they can last 30-45 days at room temperature in the husk. I generally would recommend husking them anyway until you’re ready to use them, so hopefully this gives you the info you need.
I love them dipped in melted chocolate!
I have not seen Ground Husk Cherry Tomatoes yet because we don’t have them in our country.I decided to bring some seeds from a neighboring country and grew them in my greenhouse.
I want to sell it’s fruits then,but I don’t know how much money people will pay for?
what you think?
Sajad, I don’t know. It depends on where you are and what your local market prices are like.
I discovered a variety of these growing wild in a river bottom a couple years ago. I planted some seed and now they reseed themselves every year and make lots of delicious fruit. The fruit keeps for a long time if you leave it in the husk.
In northwest Ohio where I live the farmers wives love to make these into a delicious pie that they take to potlucks and church dinners. They never last long! If you would like a copy of a recipe from a friend of mine, please contact me ([email protected]) and I would be happy to post it.
Hi Rebecca,
Feel free to post the recipe in the comments. I think lots of people would find it helpful and intriguing!!