The birthplace of physalis is Central America. Berries penetrated into Europe in the 17th century, and into Russia at the end of the 19th century. As it turned out, physalis perfectly adapts to different soils and gives a crop in the subtropical, and some of its varieties - in a temperate climate. From this berry make pickles, soups, it is dried, make healing broths, jams and preserves. Eat it raw and add it to salads. Pickled physalis is a very interesting appetizer. It is easy to make such a homemade workpiece, and it will delight you all winter. Let's try to cook it.
Physalis there are three main types. “Strawberry” produces very small fruits, sweet, with strawberry flavor. This variety is used to make jam and jams, dried as raisins, used for desserts. “Peruvian cherry” and “Mexican tomato” are similar in taste, but give fruits of different sizes (which is clear from the names of the species). You can make pickled physalis from these two varieties. Choose ripe fruits. They are easy to recognize by a dry withered flashlight box. Inside, a berry once developed.
Before cooking pickled physalis, the fruits must first be cleaned of covers (former flashlights). This closest relative of the nightshade is coated with a sticky substance that needs to be washed off. This is especially true for Mexican Tomato. The berries are first washed with warm water and then blanched in hot water. So we get rid of excess natural glue.
By the way, this overseas berry can also be salted - in a way approximately the same as the usual cucumbers. A physalis pickle recipe suggests doing so. In prepared liter jars put a sheet of black currant, along a sprig of dill and tarragon, three cloves of garlic. The washed fruits of physalis are placed. Top cover with currant leaves and pour hot marinade. It is prepared from a liter of water, bay leaf, sugar to your taste and 50 gr. salt.
When the liquid in the jar has cooled slightly, add a spoonful of essence or more vinegar. Then the pickled physalis is sterilized at 85 ° C for about 10 minutes, after which the cans are hermetically sealed with metal lids. The containers should be turned over and allowed to cool slowly under the covers. After a month, the product is ready for use. You can experiment with spices that can be put on physalis or added to the marinade. Try using clove buds, cinnamon, allspice and peas, bay leaf. It is good to pickle physalis along with other vegetables (bell peppers, for example).
There is another recipe for home cooking. At the bottom of a liter sterilized jar we put 2 inflorescences of dill, 3 leaves of black currant, a little grated horseradish root, 2-3 peas of black and allspice. Tightly stuff the fruits of physalis. Cover with a leaf of laurel. Pour it all with boiling water, let it stand for about five minutes, and then drain the water through cheesecloth. Pour the brine from a liter of water, in which two tablespoons of salt and a pinch of sugar boiled. Put two cloves of garlic in a jar. Pour 2 tablespoons of 9 percent vinegar. Roll up the lids. Pickled physalis turn upside down, let cool.