Content
- Is Physalis washing necessary?
- Better wash off purchased physalis
- Wash Physalis properly
- Even harvested physalis do not need to be washed
- How do you recognize mature physalis?
- Tips & Tricks
Is Physalis washing necessary?
Physalis, which is actually botanically correct Physalis peruviana (Andenbeere) or Physalis pruinosa (Pineapple cherries), is a delicious and very healthy fruit. In German supermarkets you get them all year round, with the fruits in summer and autumn, mainly imported from South America and in winter or spring from South Africa. The approximately cherry-sized berries have a strong orange-red color and a slightly sour taste when ripe. In addition, they are surrounded by a kind of lantern (hence the nickname lantern fruit). In the question of whether physalis need to be washed or not, the ghosts are different.
Better wash off purchased physalis
First of all, not every physalis is edible. "Physalis" is actually only the generic name for a group of nightshade plants, some of which are poisonous and some really delicious. However, under the name "Physalis" the Andean berries are typically sold in the supermarket. These are partly known as "Cape Gooseberry". Most of the fruits available at the supermarket come from South America (mainly Colombia) or South Africa, depending on the season. There, the berries are grown commercially using pesticides. For this reason, you should always wash off purchased physalis, even if, according to information from the Stiftung Ökotest, the pesticide contamination of the popular berry fruit was not yet conspicuous. Incidentally, the sticky-oily layer is typical of the Andean berry and no indication of pesticide residues.
Wash Physalis properly
Even harvested physalis do not need to be washed
Unlike purchased fruits, however, you do not necessarily have to wash off Andean berries from your own garden. The berries have a more or less pronounced, sticky layer. This is not poisonous and can be eaten without hesitation. However, this layer can easily taste bitter, which some people do not like. In this case, a wash-off is advisable. Otherwise, you can nibble your physalis directly from the bush without hesitation - only the shell should be removed before consumption.
How do you recognize mature physalis?
Although you can eat the sticky layer of Physalis, green Andean berries should be better left hanging on the bush. The fruits belong to the family Solanaceae and are therefore poisonous in the green state. However, the berries are really ripe and therefore edible if they have a rich orange-red color and the surrounding shell looks brown and dried out. Incidentally, the fruits of the domestic Lanternflower are not edible.
Tips & Tricks
The South American Tomatillo belongs to the Physalis family. The green fruit is traditionally processed as a vegetable and provides the basis for any decent Mexican salsa.