The varieties of plants upon this earth are incredibly amazing! The fact that so many can be used as food is even better. As I consider the wondrous assortment of flavors, colors, and textures, I am astounded some times. It is so amazing and incredible, and the reality that just planting a single seed in the soil can lead to my own harvest of a certain food makes me incredibly grateful.

As you may already know, gardening excites me!

With food being a necessity for existence here, I can’t help but consider utilizing such simple methods of obtaining food as growing my own. Today, I’ll share a little about three wonderful foods, two of which I have already grown and another one that I plan on growing next year.

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The three “crops” are as follows:

• Tomatillos

• Ground Cherries

• Golden Berries (AKA Cape Gooseberries and Pichu Berries? (I think))

The plants are all similar in ways, because they are all members of the Nightshade family and these ones all happen to have paper husks surrounding the fruit as well. The leaves and general plant structure look as similar as the fruit, varying mostly in size.

Once the paper husks are removed, and the fruit inside is sliced, all three look similar as well, varying mostly in size and color. The flesh of all three fruits is moist and filled with many tiny seeds, which are great for saving and planting more next year!

Despite their similarities, there are some distinct differences as well.

THIS IS MY VIDEO COMPARISON

TOMATILLOS

Tomatillos are probably the most well-known of these three. They can often be found across America in grocery stores and supermarkets, and their major claim to fame is their use in Salsa Verde. Salsa Verde literally means “Green Sauce” and is also widespread and well-known. A lot of times green tomatoes are also used to make Salsa Verde, but often they are still combined with the Tomatillos.

Personally, I am a huge fan of Salsa Verde, and l even published my Green Ghost Salsa recipe on steemit. For years it has been a secret, though many have asked for it. Once, a co-worker even wanted us to quit our jobs and just garden and make my Green Ghost Salsa. We never did, but perhaps it would have worked. The salsa is amazing!

Of the three plants I am covering today, this is the biggest. The plants themselves tend to sprawl in every direction and some varieties can produce Tomatillos up to the size of a billiards ball. The fruit begins to form inside a papery husk, and once it ripens, it’ll either completely fill the hush or burst right through it. I can remember squeezing the husks many times to see how the fruit was doing.

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This portion of a Tomatillo harvest from 5 years ago. I am now harvesting their great, great, great grandchildren this year, since @papa-pepper saves his seeds!

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I’ve grown Tomatillos for years now, and have tried a few varieties. I’ve grown a “standard” variety, a “giant” variety, and a “purple variety.” They all grew well for me and each produced plenty of Tomatillos, but I like the kinds that produce the larger fruit the best. Simply put, it just gives me more of a harvest and that means more salsa.

GOLDEN BERRIES

Although @noganoo found some at a grocery store in Wisconsin last year and started growing his own, I hadn’t actually seen or tasted Golden Berries until this weekend. Golden Berries, as I understand it, are also known as Cape Gooseberries and Pichu Berries, and are a member of the greater nightshade family, which includes such plants as peppers, tomatoes and eggplant.

When I saw some at a local store, I immediately decided to buy some, no hesitation on that one! In the checkout line, a man behind me asked me how they were, because he had never tried them either, but wanted to. Since I didn’t know yet, I bought the package and handed him one, which surprised him. I told him that now was a great opportunity to try one, so he gave in and enjoyed the new experience.

Of the three I am comparing, the Golden Berries have the most tropical and exciting flavor. Since their yield should be similar to the Tomatillo or Ground Cherry, I am incredibly excited to grow many plants of them next year, and figure out some different uses for them too.

Since many salsas combine the heat of peppers with the intense and sweet flavor of various fruits, I'll be having some fun in the kitchen once my harvest comes in.

GROUND CHERRIES

Ground Cherries are another interesting plant that I began growing a few years ago. When I first encountered them, I thought that they were like little, orange, sweet Tomatillos, and with good reason. I have mostly eaten these raw so far, but am interested in trying them in different fruit mixes or in a spicy and sweet salsa.

My children really like eating them as a treat too. I think that any natural sweet food that we can grow ourselves is a much better option than the candy or sweets available at the stores, which are usually just different varieties of sugar anyways.

These wonderful plants also produce an abundance of fruits, so one small plant sprawling itself across the ground can literally provide hundreds of tasty treats. I featured the Ground Cherry in a Garden Plant Spotlight about three months back, so if you are interested in learning more about the plant, click the link below once you finished reading, upvoting, and commenting on this post.

• Ground Cherry - Garden Plant Spotlight

CONCLUSION - WHICH TO GROW?

In typical @papa-pepper style, I say, if you've got the room and can get the seeds, why not grow all three. Though they are all similar in many ways, the flavors vary quite a bit, allowing them each to have their own place in your diet. Once the plants get past the seedling stage, they are all pretty hardy and produce well on their own, so why not try growing some of your own next gardening season?

Except for the Pichu Berry photos from @noganoo,

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