Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry - (Physalis pruinosa) An heirloom brought to North America by Polish immigrants during the early 1800s. American botanists of the 1800’s refer to the species as the Dwarf Cape Gooseberry and Strawberry tomato. The Walter Schell seed company of PA is one of the first to offer the seeds in their 1920 catalogue as Aunt Molly’s Ground Cherry. Ground cherries have a sweet pineapple-citrus like flavour. They are fun to snack on so we plant them near our frequented work areas of the farm! Ripened fruit will drop to the ground, still enclosed in a papery husk similar to tomatillos. The fruit has excellent storing capabilities around 4-6 weeks if kept in the husks. The high pectin content makes these fruit ideal for use in pies and preserves.
70 days to maturity from transplant
50 seeds per packet $4.45
Planting Instructions: Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before the last frost. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep, expect germination in 5-8 days. Keep in warm area with full light. Harden off and transplant right after tomato plants are set out or ~ 3 weeks after last frost. Plants thrive in a rich, light textured soil with full sun.
