Organic Cape Gooseberry Schoenbrun Gold

Cape Gooseberry
Physalis peruviana edulis
Approximately 800 seeds per g

This rather exotic fruit can be grown in a cold greenhouse. The plants are multi-branched and tall growing so they need something to climb up like a net. The plants are tender and like warmer conditions, grow them like aubergines and tomatoes. The pretty yellow flowers go on to produce a papery lantern in which the little globe fruit develops. The fruits contain lots of tiny seeds and are rich in vitamin C.
They are ready to eat when the lantern dries and the fruits are golden and about 2.5cms round. The skins can be a little bit waxy so we usually give them a wash before eating them. As the Latin name suggests they originate from Peru but have been widely grown in South Africa in the Cape of Good Hope region and this is, thought to be, why we call them cape gooseberries.

Schoenbrun Gold is a great Cape Gooseberry it yields rich, aromatic, golden berries, each in its own paper lantern. It has a lovely sweet-sour taste and it can be very productive. The plants are very vigorous so will take up a lot of room in the greenhouse or polytunnel. They will also need good support.

How to grow:
Sow seeds in modules or trays in March or April at a temperature of 18 to 21°C. Pot up into 8 cm, (3″) pots when the seedlings are about 8 cm tall and grow on at a temperature of a least 10°C.

Once they have formed sturdy plants in their pots, transplant them into the greenhouse border allowing 40 cms between plants or plant them 2 to a growbag. Give them some support with canes, string or nets. Harvest them when ripe, from Mid August onwards, and enjoy the lovely sweet-sour taste.

Pests and diseases:
Cape gooseberry is very easy to grow and trouble free.

How to cook:
Only eat the fruit not the papery lantern. Cape gooseberry can be used as a garnish for desserts, put into fruit salads, dipped in chocolate or made into jam.