Husk Cherry Tomatoes

Husk Cherry Tomatoes (also called Ground Cherries) is a great undiscovered treat. They look like a tiny Tomatillo, but when you peel back the husk and pop them in your mouth, you get an unbelievably sweet mango or pineapple flavor. We love just peeling them and eating them, though people do use them in jams and pies or in cocktails!

Husk Cherry Tomatoes propagate easily. In fact, much like Tomatilos (who are in the same biological family of the Physalis), we have not planted new Cherry Husk Tomatoes in several years. The seeds easily sprout the next year wherever they land. Even though I built new beds this year and last, the Ground Cherry Tomatoes sprung up BETWEEN the bricks and weed block! These are super tough and hardy plants.

And the plant produces tons of fruit. The only problem is harvesting them. They don't call them Ground Tomatoes for nothing. The vines grow along the ground so you have to really stoop down to collect the sweet fruit. Sounds like a good job for kids who are already close to the ground and don't have bad knees!