Content
Most gardeners in Central Russia know physalis as an exclusively ornamental plant. But this relative of the well-known tomato also has edible varieties. Edible physalis can be eaten both fresh and canned. There are several popular varieties of this crop, each variety has its fans.
How to distinguish edible and inedible physalis
It is quite simple to distinguish edible physalis from decorative ones. As soon as the ripening process occurs, ornamental varieties acquire an unpleasant, poisonous, bright orange color. Edible physalis usually has a lantern of a paler color. Inside the flashlight, the edible variety contains a small berry that can be eaten without any heat treatment. The color of the edible berry can be different, for example, plum. There are also orange and light yellow fruits.
What does edible physalis look like?
Physalis has two completely edible forms. The first is vegetable, the second is berry. The fruits of vegetable physalis are similar to tomatoes and yellow-green in color.Fleshy, medium size. The bushes are tall and slender, like all nightshade crops.
Stems may vary and may be branched or creeping. The length of the stems reaches 120 cm. The leaves are oval, with serrated edges. Up to 200 fruits are formed on one plant, depending on weather and fertile conditions.
Where does Physalis grow?
To grow edible physalis, you need calcareous soil. If the soil is acidic, then physalis will not grow. During the day the plant requires sun. And also for a good harvest you need to avoid excess moisture.
If there is no excess moisture, weedIf there is enough sun, the plant will produce a good and rich harvest. It is important that when growing and caring for physalis there is a sufficient amount of sunlight.
How does Physalis grow?
A rare vegetable is grown using seedlings. When planting, it should be taken into account that the plant most often branches heavily, which means that it will have to be planted in the ground at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other and in a checkerboard pattern. Then the bushes will not interfere with each other. It is important that different varieties of physalis should not be combined in one area. Moreover, each variety and variety requires its own care.
Varieties of edible Physalis
Before planting edible physalis, you need to choose the most suitable variety. The most common varieties of Physalis edible in cultivation are:
- Peruvian. A berry variety with a pleasant sweetish taste and aroma. Used mainly for making desserts.
- Pineapple. The berries of this variety of physalis are small and taste like pineapple.
- Raisin. When dried, the variety becomes similar to raisins. It is used not only dried and dried, but also fresh.Has a citrus taste.
- Moscow early. Vegetable variety, used successfully for preservation. Early ripening fruits weighing up to 80 g.
- Mexican tomato. The most common among vegetable varieties. The bushes are tall, the fruits have a yellowish tint. Used in salads and jams.
- Ground Gribovsky. A productive and cold-resistant variety. The fruits have a greenish tint and are mid-ripening.
When choosing a specific variety, it is important to carefully study the growing and planting conditions.
What are the benefits of Edible Physalis?
Physalis edible has many beneficial properties due to the vitamins and microelements it contains.
The fruits of a ripe plant contain:
- a large amount of vitamin C, this helps in the treatment of infectious and colds;
- nicotinic acid, which helps reduce blood cholesterol and fights atherosclerosis;
- potassium, which reduces blood pressure, removes excess fluid and relieves swelling;
- beta-carotenes, lycopene - reduce the risk of prostate cancer in men;
- B vitamins, which control and normalize the functioning of the central nervous system.
When used correctly, physalis has a choleretic, analgesic, wound-healing, antiseptic and diuretic effect on the body. The plant is successfully used for:
- cholecystitis;
- pyelonephritis;
- hypertension;
- rheumatism;
- constipation;
- Botkin's disease.
There are also benefits for the intestines, since the vegetable improves peristalsis and normalizes the functioning of the digestive system.
Contraindications
The plant also has its contraindications:
- You can’t take a course for more than 10 days without a doctor’s permission;
- pregnancy, lactation period;
- gastritis and stomach ulcers;
- thyroid diseases;
- allergic reaction.
If a person does not know for sure about an allergy to physalis, it is enough to remember the food reaction to tomatoes. An allergy to them means the presence of an allergy to physalis.
Growing and caring for Physalis edible
Common physalis is not difficult to grow. The plant's agricultural technology is extremely simple. Physalis vulgaris is grown from seeds using seedlings.
Before planting seedlings in the ground, the soil must be prepared. It is necessary to choose a sunny place, since the Mexican tomato does not like shade. You need to add a weak solution of potassium permanganate to the soil. When digging, it is necessary to add ash and humus. Then the soil will become quite fertile.
Any nightshade crops cannot be used as precursors, since they use similar substances from the soil and deplete it. The seeds germinate quickly, and within 30 days a young plant will sprout.
It can be planted directly in open ground, but in this case the beds must be covered with film.
At first, you should not water the seedlings too actively, since in this case the root system will rot. To prevent the fruits from becoming too watery, it is not recommended to water the plant during the formation and ripening of the crop, only occasionally.
Feed the plant twice during growth. For feeding, a solution of cow manure is used in a ratio of 1:10.
The plant does not require special care. It is enough to water moderately and monitor the absence of weeds.
Diseases and pests
The main diseases of Physalis vulgaris:
- Blackleg - occurs when there is excessive moisture and lack of loosening of the soil. When the disease occurs, the stem at the root turns black and the plant dies.
- Mosaic — light green spots of various sizes appear on the plant’s plugs. The plant becomes infected through insects, as well as through improper agricultural practices by mechanical means.
If the plant is regularly weeded, watered, and also loosened, then diseases will not be able to overcome the physalis, and the harvest will be full. In addition to diseases, there are also pests, some of which are very interested in nightshade crops:
- Medvedka - damages plants from the very beginning of spring. The insect has pronounced digging legs. Overwinters as a larva. To get rid of mole crickets in early June, it is recommended to deeply loosen the rows.
- Wireworms — It’s not the insects themselves that are dangerous, but their larvae. They gnaw at the root system of the plant and lead to its death. It is recommended to treat the soil with special means, as well as set traps to attract wireworms.
Harvesting
Physalis matures gradually. The first crop appears and ripens on the lower branches of the plant. If it is not collected in time, the fruits will fall to the ground. If the weather is dry, then the fruits in the sheaths on the ground will retain their beneficial properties for a long time. In humid climates, it is necessary to collect immediately so that larvae and parasites cannot get into the cover.
The fruits can withstand the first autumn frosts, but experts advise harvesting before frost so that the fruits retain all their beneficial properties.
For long-term storage, fruits must be picked in an unripe state. For storage, it is necessary to leave the fruits in their natural “packaging”.
How to eat
Physalis perennial edible can be consumed in several ways. It all depends on the variety. There are decorative varieties from which you can make jam, vegetables for canning and salads.
You can also eat and cook:
- Physalis salted. This recipe can be prepared either alone or using cucumbers. The recipe is as follows: put the fruits in a jar in layers with spices and fill with brine at the rate of 60 g of salt per liter of water.
- Soaked vegetable.
- Pickled product. It is necessary to marinate under the same conditions as ordinary tomatoes.
- Vegetable caviar It is prepared from the fruits of the Mexican tomato by passing through a meat grinder and adding salt, onion, and pepper to taste.
- Candied fruit most often prepared from berry varieties of the vegetable.
- Jam and puree both for one-time preparation and as a winter preparation.
This vegetable is unique in that it will appeal to both those with a sweet tooth and those who prefer healthier cuisine. In salads, edible physalis has its own pleasant taste and, with its low calorie content, will attract lovers of a healthy diet.
Conclusion
People started eating edible physalis quite a long time ago. This is a healthy product containing a large amount of vitamins and microelements. Growing it in the country is no more difficult than a simple tomato. Even a novice gardener can take care of the planting, and in the end he will receive a useful plant with a large number of healing properties.
