Behind the papery orange lantern sits a small, sweet-tart berry that tastes somewhere between tomato and pineapple. Physalis is eaten fresh, dried, cooked into jam, and in older European herbalism it was steeped as a decoction or a wine macerate. This page sets out which part is used, in what form, and what must never be eaten.
Late summer to mid-autumn, when the husk turns papery
Taste
Sweet-tart and tangy, a little tomato, a little pineapple
Where it comes from
Native to Peru, Bolivia and Colombia, where it grows around houses, in gardens and up to high altitude.
It self-seeds readily in rich soil and has naturalised widely, including in south-eastern Canada.
Taken by early settlers to the Cape of Good Hope — hence “Cape gooseberry” — and from there to Australia and Chile, where it is grown on a commercial scale.
Also grown for export in South Africa and Central Africa, notably Gabon.
How to recognise it
A branching plant, roughly knee to waist height, with a fine fuzz on the green parts.
Leaves close to oval, sometimes with toothed edges.
A papery calyx that inflates into a lantern and hides a single round berry.
The lantern of Physalis alkekengi turns bright red-orange, said to stand out like a rooster’s comb — the origin of the old French name coqueret.
What it is credited with
Traditional herbalism used winter cherry berries as a diuretic, for water retention and difficulty passing water.
Folk medicine in Europe credited the berries with supporting the work of the kidneys and liver, and used them where the skin and eyes had turned yellow.
Because the berries were thought to help carry off uric acid, older herbals recommended them for rheumatic aches and stiff joints.
Physalis juice has a reputation for soothing a sore, scratchy throat.
Naturopathy points to its carotene, provitamin A and vitamin C content and considers it a fruit that supports the eyes.
On account of its flavonoids, herbal tradition has also treated it as a mild calming fruit, taken in the evening.
Old accounts describe the berries as cooling, given when someone felt feverish.
Unwrap the papery husk: only the fully ripe berry is eaten
How to use it
Fresh, tonight
Peel back the husk, check the berry is deep orange-gold and yielding, and eat it as it is.
A handful scattered over yoghurt, a green salad or a cheese board is the simplest way in.
Halve them into a fruit tart at the last moment — they hold their shape and their tang.
Never eat berries that are still green and hard.
Decoction of dried berries
Dry ripe berries on a rack in a warm, airy spot; slicing the stems lengthways speeds up drying if you dry the plant on the branch.
Put a small handful of dried berries into a pan of cold water.
Bring to the boil, keep it bubbling gently for about five minutes, then take off the heat.
Cover and let it stand around ten minutes, strain, and drink warm — traditionally a cup in the evening, for a short run of a few days rather than week after week.
Taste: tart and faintly earthy; a little honey rounds it off.
Wine macerate (the old country preparation)
The whole plant — fruit, leaves and stem — was steeped in white wine for about a week, then filtered and taken by the small glass.
It is recorded here for the sake of completeness. Given that the leaves and stems are considered poisonous, this is not a preparation to improvise at home.
If you want the plant in liquid form, stay with the fruit alone.
In the kitchen
Jam: cook the ripe fruit with sugar and added pectin, since physalis brings no setting power of its own.
Dried fruit: works in both sweet baking and savoury dishes, alongside poultry, pork or grains.
Juice: pass ripe berries through a sieve and drink straight away, on its own or lengthened with water.
Harvest by hand and gently — both fruit and husk bruise very easily.
Forms of physalis and what each is for
Form
Preparation
Traditionally used for
Fresh fruit
Husk removed, eaten raw when fully coloured
An everyday tangy fruit, valued in naturopathy for its carotenes and vitamin C
Decoction of dried berries
Simmered a few minutes, then steeped and strained
The classic diuretic preparation of old herbals
Juice
Ripe berries sieved, drunk fresh
Reputed to soothe a rough throat
Wine macerate
Whole plant steeped in white wine, then filtered
An old country preparation, no longer advisable because of the leaves and stems
Jam and dried fruit
Cooked with sugar and pectin, or air-dried
Culinary use only
Frequently Asked Questions
The one thing to remember: eat only the fully ripe, well-coloured berry — green fruit, leaves and stems are not food.
Can I eat physalis raw, straight from the husk?
Yes, provided the berry is fully ripe: deep orange-gold, slightly soft, inside a papery husk. Raw is how most people enjoy it, sweet-tart and tangy. Green, hard fruit is high in solanine and should be discarded.
Which part is used in herbal preparations?
The ripe fruit, fresh or dried, and its juice. Old country recipes macerated the whole plant in white wine, but since the leaves and stems are reported to be poisonous, stay with the fruit alone.
What was physalis traditionally taken for?
Old herbals used the berries chiefly as a diuretic, for water retention and difficulty passing water, and credited them with supporting the kidneys and liver. Tradition also used them for rheumatic aches, for a sore throat, and as a mild calming fruit in the evening.
How long do physalis fruits keep?
Left inside their coloured husks at room temperature and away from direct sun, they keep for several weeks. Check that the husks stay dry and papery. Once husked, eat them within a couple of days.
Is physalis safe during pregnancy?
No, not as a herbal preparation. Physalin, one of the genus’s active compounds, may act as an abortifacient in high doses, so pregnant women should not take physalis decoctions, macerates or concentrated juice. The same caution applies while breastfeeding.
This information is provided for general interest and reflects the traditional use of plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice. If you are on medication, pregnant, or in any doubt, ask a healthcare professional.
Written by Gaspard Lorthiois | Loves helping out, especially when it comes to growing things. Worked in herbal medicine, runs a farm, and dabbles in tech. Master's degree and engineer.
