Ground Cherry Compote
Hi, this is Lori Fiechter with my favorite unusual Indiana fruit. If you like rhubarb sauce, I think you'll love groundcherry sauce! It is not as tart. With the other brown bag of ground cherries that I picked this week, I made ground cherry compote. For me, it is a more efficient use of ground cherries than pie: you get a lot more servings out of it (and not so many calories at once!)
I had this on my milk kefir/whole wheat waffles with homemade Greek-style yogurt and it was wonderful!
It's not really even a recipe--just mix 4 cups of ground cherries with 3/4 cup of sugar (actually, this was plenty sweet with my ripe berries--next batch will be 2/3 cup) and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator to use as a topping for yogurt or pancakes or ice cream.
It will keep for about 2 weeks.
Ground cherries are very difficult to start from seed (I've tried and failed) so I bought plants this year from the local nursery. However, other years they have done a splendid job re-seeding themselves so I am scattering them all over the rhubarb patch, hoping for an even bigger harvest next year!
How To Can Ground Cherry Jam | Husk Cherries | Canning Recipe
How to can ground cherry jam AKA husk cherries from our canning recipe (below). Husk or Ground cherries are related to the tomatillo or hot house tomato. They do not, however, taste like a tomato. Fresh, they have a pineapple or citrus taste. Cooked, they take on more of the taste of a tart Granny Smith apple. The recipe for this jam / jelly is below. The video will also have links to other recipes of ours.
Ground Cherry Jam
AKA Husk Cherries
2 lbs Ground / Husk Cherries
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
6 cups Sugar
1 box Fruit Pectin
1/4 tsp Real Butter
To Make As Shown:
2 Additional Cups Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
Prepare ground / husk cherries by grinding them in a food processor. Measure 3 3/4 cups of cherries into a large saucepan. Add lemon juice, pectin, and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar all at once. Return to a full rolling boil over high heat (again, stirring constantly) and hold at a rolling boil for 4 minutes. Place into jars. Process in a water bath canner for 10 min. Turn off heat and remove lid. Wait 5 min. Remove jars to a towel covered surface. Yield (as shown) was eight 1/2 pints and one 1/4 pint.
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Grow ground cherries! What a ground cherry is. Physalis
Physalis are herbaceous plants growing to 0.4 to 3 m tall, similar to the common tomato, a plant of the same family, but usually with a stiffer, more upright stem. They can be either annual or perennial. Most require full sun and fairly warm to hot temperatures. Some species are sensitive to frost, but others, such as the Chinese lantern, P. alkekengi, tolerate severe cold when dormant in winter.
This fruit has amazing benefits for your health. It is high in vitamins A, C, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. The ripe fruits also have a concentration of beta-carotene. It also has significant amounts of calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, bioflavonoids, protein, and fiber.
Vitamin A
Great for vision
Helps immune and inflammatory systems to work correctly
Helps with normal cell growth and development
Essential for the reproductive systems
Vitamin C
Essential to the immune system
An antioxidant, which prevents damage or death of cells
A natural antihistamine (allergy relief)
Reduces chance of stroke
Protects against Parkinson’s disease
Thiamin, also known as B1
Helps protect the nerves
Great for mental health
Essential to metabolism, especially with carbohydrates
Lowers chance of cataracts
Riboflavin, also known as B2
Necessary for iron metabolism
Prevents headaches/migraines
Maintains other B vitamins
Niacin, also known as B3
Raises HDL (good) cholesterol levels
Helps cardiac health
Good for treating depression, senility, and memory loss
Improves joint flexibilty and relieves pain and swelling due to arthritis
Vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin
Helps children to develop properly
Improves mental health; may even stop Alzheimer’s disease , if caught early on
Greatly reduces risk of pernicious anemia
Helps with cell renewal, keeping you young and fresh
On top of all these wonderful vitamins, ground cherries only have 53 calories per 3.5 oz serving, and 1 gram of fat. Because of the large amount of fiber, eating ground cherries will help you to feel full faster, keeping you from overeating and therefore helping you lose weight. These wonderful berries have no sodium, and have a low glycemic index score. The high amount of pectin aids in absorbing calcium , which is necessary for strong bones. Ground cherries also do wonders for your cells, having anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; it has been shown to inhibit cancer, particularly lung, colon, and liver varieties. It is also a diuretic (meaning it helps remove water and sodium through urine), and can be used to aid fluid retention and other such issues. In folk medicine, ground cherries have been used to treat asthma. dermatitis, hepatitis, malaria. and rheumatism .It has been found to have some melatonin, which helps improve and regulate sleep, prevents degenerative diseases, prevents migraines, and protects against reproductive organ cancers.
There are many ways to include this wonderful berry into your diet. It can be added to salads containing fruit or vegetables, canned, or made into a jam or sauce. Because of the high pectin content, it makes a wonderful pie or tart. They can also be dried and eaten like raisins. Add to ice cream, or crush and swirl in for an interesting flavor combination. To add sweetness, you may prick the skin and roll in sugar. You can also try making salsa, cake, or adding to your cereal. However, it is just as nice to eat them as is.