Kendall Farms | Cape Gooseberry

The History of the Cape Gooseberry

No, this is not a National Lampoon's holiday destination, the Cape Gooseberry (physallis peruvian) is a small round berry, about the size of a marble, full of small seeds. It is bright yellow when ripe, and very sweet, making it ideal for baking into pies and making jam. They are reportedly native to Peru and Chile, where the fruits are casually eaten and occasionally sold in markets. Although the plant is still not an important crop, it has been widely introduced into cultivation in other tropical, subtropical and even temperate areas. It is said to succeed wherever tomatoes can be grown. The plant was grown by early settlers at the Cape of Good Hope before 1807. In South Africa it is commercially cultivated and common as an escape and the jam and canned whole fruits are staple commodities, often exported. It is cultivated and naturalised on a small scale in Gabon and other parts of Central Africa. Soon after its adoption in the Cape of Good Hope it was carried to Australia and there acquired its common English name. It was one of the few fresh fruits of the early settlers in New South Wales. There it has long been grown on a large scale and is abundantly naturalised, as it is also in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Tasmania. It was welcomed in New Zealand where it is said that "the housewife is sometimes embarrassed by the quantity of berries [cape gooseberries] in the garden," and government agencies actively promote increased culinary use.

The Kendall Farms Range

The cape gooseberry is an annual in temperate regions and a perennial in the tropics. It grows quite readily in QLD and is a good performer. In fact, the cape gooseberry seems to thrive on neglect. High yields can be achieved with little to no fertiliser.

Cultivation Notes

The cape gooseberry will grow in any well-drained soil but does best on sandy to gravely loam. On highly fertile alluvial soil, there is much vegetative growth and the fruits fail to colour properly. Very good crops are obtained on rather poor sandy ground. Where drainage is a problem, the plantings should be on gentle slopes or the rows should be mounded. The plants become dormant in drought. A single plant may yield 300 fruits. The fruit is harvested when it falls to the ground, but not all fallen fruits may be in the same stage of maturity and must be held until they ripen. It may take some experience to tell when the calyx-enclosed fruits are fully ripe. The fruits will turn a distinctive bright yellow when ripe.

Health Benefits

The ripe fruits are considered a good source of Vitamin P and are rich in pectin.

Interesting Facts

Cape gooseberries are long-lasting. The fresh fruits can be stored in a scaled container and kept in a dry atmosphere for several months. They will still be in good condition. If the fresh fruits are to be shipped, it is best to leave the husk on for protection. In addition to being canned whole and preserved as jam, the cape gooseberry is made into sauce, used in pies, puddings, chutneys and ice cream, and eaten fresh in fruit salads and fruit cocktails. In Colombia, the fruits are stewed with honey and eaten as dessert. Fruits are excellent when dipped in chocolate, and can also be dried and eaten.

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CHOCOLATE COATED CAPE GOOSEBERRIES

Preparation time: over 2 hours
Cooking Time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients
225g Cape Gooseberries with stalks, washed
100g block of quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids if possible) broken into pieces

Method

1. Line a baking sheet or tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Heat some water to boiling point in a saucepan.
3. Place the chocolate into a large heatproof bowl and place it over the pan of boiling water. Make sure the base of the bowl does not come in contact with the water. Stir until the chocolate is melted.
4. Expose the berries of the cape gooseberries by pulling back the papery skins.
5. Hold onto these papery skins and onto the stalks of the fruit, and dip each piece of fruit into the melted chocolate. Place them onto the greaseproof paper and leave to set in a cool place for 2 hours.
6. Serve with after dinner coffee.

RICE PUDDING WITH CAPE GOOSEBERRIES

Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins to 1 hour

Ingredients
1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)
50g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
1 vanilla pod, split
5 cups milk
2 cups cape gooseberries (physalis)
sugar syrup
Creme fraiche

Method
1. Remove the papery husks and poach the gooseberries by bringing them to a very gentle simmer in the sugar syrup (equal parts caster sugar and water). Remove them from the heat and allow them to sit in the hot syrup until they are soft and the skins just start to break.
2. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan. Add the rice and stir to coat.3. Add the sugar, vanilla pod and milk and bring gently to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 30 to 35 minutes.
4. Add the gooseberries to the rice.

To serve:
Separate the pudding between four bowls and serve with a scoop of a creme fraiche.

Note: Unripe Cape Gooseberry fruits are poisonous. The plant is believed to have caused illness and even death in Australian cattle.

Only suitably matured fruits are fit for human consumption.