I was first introduced to cherry blossoms several years ago through our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). i had never seen them before. That alone made me want to know more about them. Then my friends Thelma and Linda, a local farming and gardening mother-daughter duo, welcomed me to visit their garden patch of Grand Cherry plants.
Technical information:
- Scientific name: Physalis
- Family: Solanaceae
- Subfamily: Soranoididae
- Order: Solanares
- Kingdom: Plants
- Race: Phisalee
Physalis is a genus of flowering plants in the Solanaceae family that grow in temperate temperate and subtropical regions of the world. Most of the species, which may number between 75 and 90, are endemic to the Americas. It is important to note that all parts of the above-ground cherry plant are toxic to humans and pets, with the exception of the ripe fruit. is. In small amounts, these can cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. A person can tell if an above-ground cherry is ripe when the inner fruit reaches its final color, often yellow or pale orange.
Explanation:
Crushed cherries are similar to tomatillos in that each has a paper-like shell, while crushed cherries are much smaller. It has a sweet and tropical taste. Their flavors have been compared to a mixture of pineapple, strawberry, and green grape, so they are sweet, sour, and vaguely tropical.
Ground cherries grow on bush-like plants with bright green leaves with serrated edges. At maturity, shrubs are about 1 to 3 feet tall and wide. My friend Linda places tomato cages around the young plants to support them. In her case, I found the cage useless as the plants grew large and were not tall.
How to grow:
Plant cherries in spring. It is an annual plant that lives in one season. They can be planted in zones 4 to 8. Grand cherries need plenty of sunlight (at least 6 hours of direct sun each day) and well-drained soil with a slightly acidic pH. Crushed cherries should be placed at least two feet apart. Young plants should be planted to the same depth as in the previous container.
According to The Spruce, cherries are ground like fairly moist soil and require about an inch of water per week. In dry conditions, the plant may drop flowers without producing fruit. Crushed cherries have good heat resistance within certain zones. They prefer temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit and can tolerate temperatures as high as 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is recommended to plant in compost-improved soil. If the soil is poor, mix organic fertilizers specifically for fruits and vegetables at the time of planting.
Cherries can also be grown from seed. This method will take some time as the seeds must be sown indoors 4-8 weeks before the last frost. At that point they may be transplanted to a location in your garden. Most phlox varieties take 65 to 75 days to mature after transplanting.
As the cherry ripens, the stems attached to the fruit begin to die and the fruit falls to the ground (hence the cherry’s name). rich gardener Unripe cherries can fall off the plant, so if the cherries are falling, make sure they have turned to their final color.
A friend of mine recommends putting a landscaping cloth under the plants. When the ground cherries ripen and fall to the ground, they are easier to collect from the dough.
Luckily, like other nightshades like tomatoes, green ground cherries can ripen off the plant. Ground cherries will keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks, but can be kept soft for up to a month. You can also freeze it! Put them in a resealable plastic bag and put them in the freezer until you’re ready to use them.
My friend Thelma, 93, remembers her mother growing cherries in the garden. She wants more people to try cultivation. She and Linda do not eat raw mashed cherries. Their favorite way to eat is an upside down cake. Substitute ripe, washed, raw, and ground cherries for pineapple (or other fruit) in your favorite Upside-Down cake recipe. I also want to try the Grand Cherry Salsa recipe you taught me.
ground cherry pie
(Old Mennonite recipe)
material:
2 ½ cups cherries
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tbsp flour (I use 2-3 T flour)
1 9 inch pie shell
3 tbsp flour
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons butter
direction:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the husks from the ground cherries and wash them. Place in an unbaked pie shell.
Mix brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of flour and dust the cherries. Sprinkle water over the top. Mix 3 tablespoons with 3 tablespoons of sugar.
Cut butter until crumbly. Top cherry mix and bread crumbs.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.
It is traditionally served at Thanksgiving. Hozuki freezes well, so you can enjoy it all year round.
Information for this article was taken from How To Grow Ground Cherryries by Colleen Vanderlinden on 4/14/22 thespruce.com. When do grand cherries ripen? Read Before You Eat, bountifulgardener.com; friends Thelma and Linda Harder, and my own experience.
Joy Serraldi is a Master Gardener at The Ohio State University’s Sandusky and Ottawa County Extension Office.