Vegetable physalis from the nightshade family is a plant with fruits in the form of a berry enclosed in a membranous membrane.
The latter is somewhat reminiscent of a paper lantern due to the fact that the sepals grow together long before ripening. Due to the bright and non-standard appearance possessed by the physalis vegetable, this berry is often used as an ornament for various dishes - from salads to desserts.
Physalis vegetable - one of the edible forms of plants of the nightshade family
Emerald berry (another name for physalis) is somewhat reminiscent of a small tomato. Its color is from greenish yellow to light orange. The taste can be quite pleasant. In several varieties, it is bitter and burning. In nature, physalis is common in the sparse forests of the Baltic states, Central Asia, Bulgaria, and the Caucasus. It usually grows among shrubs. Also found in gardens as a weed.
In many countries, it is currently cultivated as an ornamental plant. From edible varieties, many different dishes are prepared. The sugar content and specific taste that
physalis has
(recipes for cooking will be discussed in this article a little lower), allows you to use it in desserts, marinades, sauces, pies. And also cook jam from it and make candied fruits. Physalis vegetable has a pronounced sourness, which makes it a wonderful seasoning for meat, fish and
vegetable stew. If you cook the emerald berry without violating its integrity, you can use it as an edible decoration.
Unsweetened physalis dishes
First, try making a light salad to see if you like the taste of fresh emerald berries in the dishes. Take 50 g of physalis, ten quail boiled eggs, a bunch of greens to your taste, pickled cheese (100 to 150 grams), a little lemon juice, a couple of sun-dried tomatoes, olives, a spoonful of mustard, sea salt, a couple of tablespoons of germinated wheat seeds.
To start, mix the ingredients for the dressing. Mustard (it is better to take grain), lemon juice and olive oil should stand for a while. It is better to add sea salt not to the dressing, but to sprinkle it on top of the salad. If you take the usual cookbook, then it is better to mix it immediately with mustard and butter. If you choose a green salad, wash its leaves, carefully shake off the water and place on plates. Then put the rest of the ingredients on them and pour over the dressing. If you prefer cilantro or dill, chop them with tomatoes. Grind cheese, eggs, olives. Leave the physalis whole or cut in half (by the way, in this salad you can replace it with cherry tomatoes). Lastly, put
sprouted wheat. It can be replaced with pine nuts to increase calories. In any case, this dish will turn out to be hearty, original and very useful. If you mix physalis with an equal amount of cucumbers, add carrots, onions, garlic and spices to taste, and then pour the marinade, you get a great snack for the winter holidays.
Emerald Berry Sweets
If pour peeled physalis with an equal amount of sugar, pour in a little water, boil for 10 minutes. with the addition of cinnamon and then boiled with citric acid for two hours, you will get excellent jam. Very well, this berry is suitable as a component of fruit muffins, as well as a decoration for them.