Physalis: use, useful properties and contraindications. Vegetable physalis in cooking. Physalis caviar

Our country is distinguished by its natural diversity and richness of the healing properties of plants, but it is worth learning about interesting representatives of the flora of other countries and continents that can be grown in our conditions. One of these plants is physalis, the largest species diversity of which grows in the countries of South and Central America. It is known to most people for its orange or bright red berries, similar to Chinese paper lanterns.

Physalis (from the Latin Physalis - bubble) is a genus of plants close to tomatoes of the nightshade family. Popularly known by the names " emerald berry”, “earth cranberry”, “bubbler”, “marunka”, “dog cherry”. Many people know it as a decorative element with bright lanterns that are fused sepals. After flowering, the calyx grows faster than the fruit, forming a natural defense. In the homeland of origin (South America), the "case" protects the ripening berries from the hot sun. After maturation, it dries up and changes color.

What does it look like

Physalis - perennial, which every year gives new angularly curved upright shoots up to 1 m high from the root. The root system is branched, with woody creeping processes, so physalis grows in large bushes. The leaves are ovate, soft, serrated at the edges. From the bud emerges a pale yellow, five-lobed flower that resembles a bell. After flowering, a spherical fruit appears, which immediately closes with sepals that form a bell-shaped calyx with triangular teeth.

When ripe, the color of the calyx changes from light green to red, orange or purple, depending on the variety, the place where the plant grows. Ripe berries change color from green to bright yellow or orange. They are very similar in appearance to cherry tomatoes. Inside they are fleshy, with scattered bones. There are berry and vegetable varieties of physalis, so many summer residents know it as a berry, unpretentious, well-bearing plant. In addition to decorative functions, it is eaten, healing properties are used in medicine.

Where does it grow

Physalis native habitats are South and Central America - from here it was introduced to North America and Southern Europe. The species "Physalis vulgaris" showed resistance to cold snaps, due to which it spread to China and Japan, here it was recognized as one of the important decorative elements at the holidays. The ability to tolerate cold has made perennial growth possible in temperate countries. In the conditions of Russia, varietal cultivation is carried out through seedlings into a fertile soil mixture for tomatoes and peppers.

Types of Physalis

There are about 120 varieties of physalis, common feature which is a 5-10 lobed flower. When ripe, it takes on different bright colors, which remain after drying and are used for decorative purposes when creating flower arrangements, bouquets. The berries of decorative varieties of bladderwort have a bitter taste and are not used for cooking. This is one of the few plants whose edible varieties include berry and vegetable varieties. In texture and taste, they are more like vegetables, but biological structure bush - for berries.

Decorative

The cultivation of ornamental varieties of physalis dates back to 1894. Ornamental physalis has the names Alkekengi (Physalis alkekengi) or Franchet (Physalis francheti), was named after Rene Franchet. The French botanist was the first to study this plant. The basis of decorative interest in the variety are even flowers-lanterns with a diameter of 6-7 cm. On a stem up to 90 cm long, 10-15 lanterns can be located. The fruits of ornamental varieties are poisonous, so they are not suitable for food.

food

Eaten varieties of bladder are divided into vegetable and berry varieties. Vegetable or Mexican, glutinous, Physalis ixocarpa Brot. used raw and for canning, cooking. The Mexican physalis fruit has a bitter-tasting sticky film that is easily removed by blanching (dissolving in hot water). Berry varieties are Peruvian (Physalis peruviana), strawberry (Physalis pubescens). They do not have a bitter adhesive film, they are used for making jams, compotes.

Physalis edible

Edible varieties of bladderwort do not have such bright cap colors as ornamental varieties. The berry is large, has a bright sweet taste, without heat treatment it can be consumed by children and adults. The most famous edible varieties are:

• Strawberry;
• Pineapple;
• Confectioner;
• Plum jam.

To understand the usefulness of the plant, it is worth analyzing the composition of fruits that contain sugar, pectins, quercetin, tannins, phytoncides, citric, malic, succinic, tartaric, sinapic, ferulic and coffee organic acids. In addition, berries are a multivitamin complex rich in trace elements (thiamine, iron, magnesium, phosphorus) and include:

• 32 calories per 100 g;
• cholesterol - 0%;
• potassium - 8%;
• Vitamin C - 20%;
• Vitamin K - 13%;
• Vitamin B6 - 3%;
• Vitamin A - 2%.

What is useful

Beneficial features physalis are supplemented a wide range healing components of the remaining parts of this plant. The roots contain several types of alkaloids - pseudotropine, tegloidin, tropine, kuskigrin. The leaves are saturated with steroids - sitosterol, campesterol and isofucosterol. Some varieties contain carotenoids - alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin ester, cryptoxanthin, physoxanthin. Seeds can give up to 25% fatty oil.

All parts of the plant found wide application for creating medical preparations and means of prevention in folk medicine. Medicines based on physalis have the following healing properties:

• have diuretics and choleretic properties;
• relieve inflammation, anemia;
• have a hemostatic, antiseptic, analgesic effect;
• help against hypertension, stomach ulcers, chronic cholecystitis, hypoacid gastritis;
• are used to prevent metabolic disorders.

Bladder fruit contains antioxidants that prevent mutation healthy cells and rebirth at oncological diseases. To maximize the use of all the healing components of the plant at home, you can cook:

• decoction of physalis fruits - for the treatment of kidney diseases, nephrolithiasis, bladder, gout, for the treatment of bronchitis, tracheitis, cough, other respiratory diseases, with pain attacks, spasms of the stomach, intestines;
• diuretic tea- with cholelithiasis, cystitis;
• fresh fruit juice - used externally for fungal skin diseases;
• liniment based on physalis - in the treatment of rheumatism;
• wine tincture - in the treatment of kidney diseases;
• alcohol tincture- for the treatment and prevention of rash, fungal skin diseases.

How to eat physalis

Rarely there are plants that have vegetable and berry fruits. Physalis has different directions culinary applications. Berry physalis contains a high concentration of pectin, which increases gelling properties, promotes the use in the preparation of jams, jelly, preserves, sweets, candied fruits, marshmallows. All of these products can be preserved, they will be well preserved until the next harvest. Dried or dried fruits are used instead of raisins when baking pies, creating puddings, and desserts. Vegetable varieties are used for cooking:

• first courses;
• vegetable caviar, sauces;
• canning in salted, soaked, pickled form.

Harm and contraindications

Physalis fruits are covered with a sticky film, so use without prior blanching will give the berries a bitter aftertaste that can cause frustration, nausea, and diarrhea. Multivitamin Complex plants are indicated for many diseases, but high content sugar can become dangerous for diabetics. Organic acids can negative impact for people with high acidity. The fruits of ornamental varieties look like edible, but are poisonous. It is necessary to use preparations based on physalis under the supervision of doctors.

Video

Physalis, the beneficial properties of which are described in the article, comes from Central and South America. It came to Russia at the same time as tomatoes, but was not widely used. AT recent times interest in this fruit has increased, in addition to excellent taste, it can bring a lot of health benefits.

Physalis - beneficial properties for the body

Physalis is a relative of the tomato from the Solanaceae family. Often used for decorative purposes. Was interesting custom in France, a woman, if she became pregnant, presented her man with a bouquet of physalis. There are two types of edible physalis. One is vegetable physalis or Peruvian gooseberry and strawberry physalis, which is more popular in Russia.

Physalis contains:

1. A large amount of vitamin C, which speeds up recovery from various infectious diseases.
2. Nicotinic acid or vitamin PP, which regulates the level of cholesterol in the blood.
3. Vitamins of group B, necessary for the normal functioning of the central nervous system.
4. Lots of potassium, a sodium antagonist that promotes excretion excess fluid from the body, relieves swelling and lowers blood pressure.
5. Beta-carotene and lycopene prevent prostate cancer.

In addition, there are plant fibers in the fruits, they help to remove toxins from the body and harmful substances improve intestinal peristalsis.

What diseases does physalis help with?

juice fresh plant treat all kinds of wounds, make lotions and compresses.

Physalis has medicinal properties:

• diuretic;
• choleretic;
• painkillers;
• antiseptic.

Physalis is used for such diseases:

• pyelonephritis;
• Botkin's disease, cholecystitis;
• constipation in old age;
• rheumatism;
• skin inflammation;
• hypertension.

Exist decorative varieties physalis with beautiful orange lanterns. You can't eat them because great content toxic substances.

traditional medicine recipe

In folk medicine, physalis berries are valuable medicine. From them prepare decoctions for drinking and ointments for external use.

To prepare a decoction, dry fruits (20 g) are simmered for 10 minutes over low heat in half a liter of boiling water. Drink 50 ml up to five times a day, before meals. The decoction helps with kidney diseases, fever, rheumatism, and is used as an analgesic.

With rheumatism, you can make an ointment from physalis - dry the fruits, burn, mix the ash with vegetable oil, and smear sore joints.

There is another way to prepare the ointment. It will need 1 tsp. fresh, chopped physalis fruits and 2 tbsp. l. olive oil. The components are mixed, infused in a dark place for 20 days, then filtered and used to heal wounds, with inflammatory processes and pain in the joints.

Many have heard of a culture like physalis. Unusual red boxes-lanterns, in which the fruits of the plant are hidden, are the first thing you remember. when they talk about physalis. It belongs to the nightshade family. This perennial plant reaches up to 50-100 cm in height, produces single bell-shaped flowers of cream or white color, which grow from the leaf axils and bloom in August. The spherical fruit of red or orange color is located inside the bubble cup. Hence the name of the plant: in Greek, "physio" means swollen.

The fruit ripens in September - October. Branched underground shoots of a creeping plant. Physalis grows in ravines, on the edges, near shrubs, in light forests. Distributed in Central Asia, in the Caucasus, in the Baltic states, Russian Federation, Iraq, Bulgaria. Widely known for its medicinal properties. However, not every fruit is suitable for food and treatment. Therefore, further we will understand in more detail what physalis is and how it is eaten.

Did you know? physalis yetcalled marunka, dog cherry, bladder.

The composition of physalis, what the medicinal plant consists of

Having got acquainted with physalis, understanding what it is, let's figure out why the plant is so attractive, in addition to its external beauty? Its value is the fruit, which is 10% dry matter, including seeds. 15% of the latter are oily substances. In addition, 2.5% of the fruit are proteins, 4.5% are sugars, 0.7-1.4% organic acids (malic, tartaric, succinic, citric), 0.45% pectin and other gelling substances, 0. 1% carotene, 45-100 mg ascorbic acid, as well as phytoncides, minerals, fizalin.

The berries contain the following trace elements:

• zinc, which is part of the membranes of the cells of our body;
• sodium that plays leading role in water-salt metabolism;
• calcium, one of the main elements of bone tissue;
• iron, which is involved in hematopoiesis;
• magnesium, which provides all metabolic processes;
• phosphorus, which provides normal work nervous system, forms a skeleton, takes part in metabolism;
• potassium, which ensures the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Important! Most often, at the mention of physalis, people imagine teardrop-shaped fragile boxes, inside of which there is a small red fruit. But this is only "Fourchet" - the most common type of decorative physalis, which has a bitter taste and is not suitable for human consumption. For this, there are vegetable and berry varieties of culture. Berry from vegetable differs in greater sweetness, but it is less often used as a medicinal plant.

Medicinal properties of physalis when to use fruits

Now let's figure out what physalis is used for. First of all in medicinal purposes: during treatment urinary tract, respiratory system, rheumatism, lichen, gout and other diseases. It is valued for its analgesic, antiseptic, hemostatic, choleretic, diuretic properties.

The roots and fruits of the plant are used as a remedy. They are mined and dried in autumn, but the fruits are more often used raw. To do this, they must first be doused with boiling water so that a sticky, wax-like coating comes off. The fruits have a sweet and sour taste with a slight bitterness. They are added to soups, canned vegetable mix, salads. Accordingly, to the question whether it is possible to eat physalis raw, the answer is yes. They are also used for cooking second courses, caviar. Juices are pressed from fresh fruits, jam is boiled, dried and dried.

What is useful physalis for men

The plant is valued for its special effect on male body. So, over the years, this category of the population increases the risk of diseases of the urogenital area. Physalis has beneficial properties of an anti-inflammatory and diuretic nature, which have an excellent preventive effect for men. The advantage of the plant is that it has practically no contraindications, and it can often be used as food.

The benefits of physalis for the female body

Gives the plant a special positive influence and on the female body. For example, a decoction of its roots is recommended for use in violations menstrual cycle. Since the fruit itself has diuretic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, it is recommended for the treatment of inflammation in the female genital organs, as well as for cystitis, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis. Knowing the health benefits of physalis, it can be consumed constantly as it is low in calories and diet vegetable or berry. By the way, berry-based ointment is used as a healing external remedy.

The use of physalis in traditional medicine, the best recipes

Useful properties of physalis have long been known. Even Avicenna recommended its use for the treatment of ulcers and asthma. It is not surprising that to this day have survived folk recipes on the use of the plant in medicine.

Did you know?The legend of the physalis says that once the sun was swallowed up by a huge dragon. The world plunged into darkness, and everything began to perish. But there was a brave young man who took a flashlight and went in search of a monster. Finding the dragon, he defeated it and freed the sun. It spilled bright light and blinded the young man for a second. He quickly covered his eyes with his hand and dropped the lantern. He hit the ground and turned into a whole scattering of small lanterns. From them, physalis has grown all over the world.

For anemia and hypertension

The shamans of Central Asia knew the beneficial properties of physalis and used the plant to treat hypertension, anemia and senile constipation. In the last two cases great effect produce fresh fruit from the plant. They are recommended to use 2-3 times a day before meals, 5-10 pieces. hypertension treats tea based on the caps of fruits and leaves of the plant.

Decoction for diseases of the stomach

A decoction of the fruits of physalis, as a means to combat gastric diseases used mainly in Bulgaria. There, not only gastrointestinal colic was treated with a decoction, but also hemorrhages, jaundice, gout, rheumatism, cholecystitis. Excellent it helps in the treatment of hemorrhoids and as a diuretic.

To prepare a decoction, take 20 g of fresh or dried fruits and boil them for 10-15 minutes. Then the broth is insisted until it cools down. Strain, take a quarter cup 4-5 times a day.

Today, fruits are recommended to be taken for treatment. peptic ulcer duodenum and stomach, hypoacid gastritis, diabetes mellitus, chronic cholecystitis. small ripe fruits taken in the amount of 10-15 pieces, larger ones - 4-8.

Important! If you have high acidity, the rate of consumption of fresh fruits should be halved. They should be eaten immediately before meals, each time slightly increasing the dose. Always focus on your well-being. Maximum allowable amount 8-15 pieces depending on the size of the berry.

Boiled juice against sore throat and stomatitis

For these purposes, the fruits of physalis are used in Tajikistan, where the recipe for treatment came from. It is recommended to grind the fruits of physalis into gruel or squeeze the juice out of them. Boil the resulting mixture over low heat with the addition of milk. Then cooked remedy give 3-4 tbsp. spoons 3-4 times a day for 4-5 days. During this time, stomatitis, tonsillitis and laryngitis are completely cured. If you take the mixture periodically, you can avoid recurrence of diseases.

Beautiful orange lanterns of physalis are known to many: unusual appearance and bright color attract attention. But in addition to decorative, inedible, there is also vegetable and berry physalis. Unfortunately, edible physalis, whose beneficial properties are highly valued in Mexico, Bulgaria, Iran, is not so popular among our population. But this tasty and unusually beautiful berry is a representative of the same nightshade family as our beloved one.

Before eating Physalis berries, make sure it is an edible variety. At decorative look not only leaves, stems and lanterns are poisonous, but also fruits.

Composition of berries

Ground parts of this high herbaceous plant, except for berries, are poisonous. The reason is the highly toxic alkaloids contained in them. By the way, because of them, the plant is popularly called sleepy grass.

Fruits also contain alkaloids, but not very much. Much more in them various sugars, organic acids(citric, synapic, coffee, ferulic and others), .

The composition of the berries includes various macro- and microelements (potassium, iron, calcium and others), tannins, vitamins C and A (, carotenoids).

They owe their bright color to lycopene. It is a powerful antioxidant and is believed to have anticancer properties.

Useful properties of non-decorative species

Exotic so far for us, the berry is distinguished by hemostatic, antibacterial, and analgesic properties. It is used as a urinary and choleretic, tonic. With its regular use in food, work improves gastrointestinal tract pressure normalizes.

Low the energy value(approximately 30 kcal per 100 g) means that physalis is suitable for dietary nutrition.

Without harm, you can eat only fully ripe fruits of physalis, unripe berries are poisonous.

Indications for use

Thanks to chemical composition physalis, its useful properties are such that in case of certain diseases and conditions it is especially useful to include orange berries and dishes from them in the diet.

• Physalis must be included in the diet of the elderly. Fresh fruits have a general strengthening effect. They also help with constipation, anemia, hypertension, articular rheumatism, gout - frequent companions advanced age.
• For emaciated people weakened by disease, physalis is not only tasty, but also necessary as a source of vitamins.
• For kidney stones and bladder, cystitis, other problems with excretory system orange fruits are useful fresh and dried as a diuretic.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, biliary tract - a reason to try physalis. Fresh and dried fruits, as well as juice, decoction, compote from them will bring benefits.
• AT complex treatment hepatitis A, these drinks also play a role. They also help with diarrhea of ​​various origins.
• Pectin contained in berries, like apple pectin, removes radionuclides, salts from the body heavy metals. This is necessary for people living in unfavorable environmental conditions or working in hazardous industries.
• Improper nutrition, a tendency to obesity, obesity are also reasons to eat these berries or a decoction of them.

In addition to the fact that the fruits of physalis help to remove toxins from the body, the pectin contained in them binds and removes excess cholesterol. And because of the low calorie content, the abundance of vitamins and other nutrients, they are the best fit for a diet menu.

• Even in ancient times, physalis was used to treat the respiratory system. With bronchitis, bronchial asthma, persistent cough, other problems with upper respiratory tract healers prescribed to drink a decoction or infusion of physalis. And with angina it is useful to drink milk, but not simple, but the one in which crushed berries were boiled.
• It is known that ancient healers recommended physalis for diseases endocrine system. In a diet for the sick diabetes, in which so much attention is paid to nutrition, physalis should be included. Low-calorie, rich in pectin and other beneficial substances, it can help them too.
• With dermatitis, ulcers and inflammatory manifestations on the skin, with bruises, physalis also does an excellent job. It also helps with hard-to-treat lichen.

From the parts of the plant, preparations are prepared for external use: from the berries - an ointment, from a decoction of the roots - an ointment for compresses and baths. Lanterns infused with oil also contribute to the healing of damaged tissues. The effect will be even better if you include berries in the diet for the duration of treatment.

• A decoction of the roots of this plant is useful to take to normalize the menstrual cycle in women. Physalis roots can be bought at a pharmacy, or you can prepare yourself. This should be done in the fall, as well as picking berries. At this time of the year they are the most high concentration useful substances.

Contraindications

Contraindications, even if there are not so many, this plant also has.

• Physalis, especially fresh, should be eaten with caution when hyperacidity stomach.
• AT childhood(up to three years) these berries are also not recommended. At an older age, they are introduced into the diet, but gradually, starting with 2-3 pieces per day.
• They should also be used with caution during pregnancy.
• Except for the fruits, all above ground parts of the plant are poisonous. Therefore, pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as small children, should not be contacted with them.

Methods of use, recipes of folk remedies

Physalis is eaten in any form. True, the fruits of vegetable physalis without heat treatment are tasteless. And although in Mexico they are put raw in salads, in our country they are most often marinated. It tastes very similar to regular canned tomatoes.

They are also added to various soups, they make preparations for the winter. In boiled or baked form, they are used as side dishes, seasoning for second courses, sauces with a specific taste are prepared from them.

Before cooking fresh berries vegetable physalis must be doused with boiling water or blanched. This is done to wash off a specific bitter coating from them.

It is better to eat berry physalis fresh. Its fruits are surprisingly fragrant, and depending on the variety, they resemble other fruits: pineapple, strawberries,. Jams, marshmallows, marshmallows are made from it, juices, compotes and broths are boiled.

From berry physalis you can make it no less healthy and tasty than the usual one. To do this, the berries are dried in the sun, in an oven, oven or a special dryer.
Useful qualities berries are preserved heat treatment, therefore, nutrition, which includes physalis dishes, can be called at least useful.

But when using these berries for medicinal purposes, you need to follow the dosage and remember about regularity.

• It is recommended to eat a dozen fresh small fruits or up to 8 large ones 15-30 minutes before meals.
• With increased acidity gastric juice the number of berries should be reduced by 2 times, and they should be eaten right before meals.

Physalis can serve good service not only how useful product nutrition. Based on it, they make different medicinal ointments, tinctures, rinses, compresses.

• A remedy that will help from sore throat, stomatitis, barking cough. Boil milk with gruel from fresh physalis fruits over low heat. 4 tablespoons several times a day - and the disease will recede.
• Ointment with healing, regenerating, antibacterial properties. Dry the fruits and then burn them. Mix the resulting ash with any vegetable oil and lubricate the affected areas.
• Another ointment recipe: crush a few physalis berries, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to them and leave for 3 weeks. After this time, strain and store in the refrigerator. To smear the affected areas with inflammatory processes of the skin, rheumatism and other pains.

There are many such recipes in those countries where physalis is popular. It is a pity that little is known about its benefits and harms to health. This plant deserves more than just being a decorative element in the garden.

Physalis, whose photo you have probably seen more than once, refers to There are only two edible species- physalis vegetable and strawberry. The plant is also known as Peruvian gooseberry, strawberry tomato, and earth cherry, or cranberry. Ornamental physalis is another type of plant that cannot be eaten, however, by growing it on the site, you can use it as a decorative element for or for making bouquets. This article will tell you how to grow this useful and very original plant. It also contains several recipes for preparing a variety of physalis dishes.

Physalis, what is it: a berry or a vegetable?

Many gardeners who have just decided to get acquainted with physalis do not know which genus this plant belongs to: berries or vegetables? After all, care and cultivation will depend on which group it belongs to. What exactly is physalis? According to its biological structure, the plant belongs to berries, but most summer residents know it as a vegetable. But in fact, it is not so important what exactly this wonderful product is, because its beauty and benefits are much more important than all this. So, we figured out the generic affiliation of the physalis species. What is this plant in terms of decorative and nutritional value? We will talk about this a little later, but now let's get acquainted with the external data of the plant.

What does physalis look like

How to find out that the flower that they offer to buy is exactly physalis? What kind of plant is this and what structural features does it have? To begin with, it is worth remembering that not many varieties and types of physalis can be purchased in the form of a pot culture. The plant is quite large: berry species reach 60 cm in height and have a creeping stem, and vegetable species grow up to one and a half meters. The leaves of most varieties of Physalis are oval, with slightly serrated edges. Flowers small, pale yellow, dark spots in the center, located at the base of young shoots. Even the decorative physalis cannot boast of bright inflorescences. But yellow or bright orange fruits, hidden inside a bright flashlight, which is a pericarp, are remembered for a long time. Depending on the variety, the color of the boxes with the fruit inside can vary from pale yellow to bright red. There are also varieties that differ in blue or other color of berries.

Physalis varieties

The most common varieties of edible physalis are Peruvian and raisin, which are popularly known as vegetable and berry. A large number of other varieties can also be bought at any store, but these two have gained immense popularity among summer residents. Raisin physalis, the photo of which you can see below, is small in size and is loved by many flower growers for its compactness. It is this quality that allows it to be grown as a pot culture. Peruvian physalis is a very large plant, so growing it indoors is unlikely to succeed. In order for the crop to ripen in the middle of summer, raisin physalis must be planted 3-4 months before the expected harvest date, and Peruvian physalis even earlier - 5 months or more. Seedling-grown physalis gives abundant harvests from mid-July.

The size of physalis fruits is varied, it primarily depends on the variety:

• Physalis berry varieties are always smaller than vegetable varieties. So, the fruit of strawberry physalis reaches a weight of 6-10 g. Other berry varieties are even smaller, their weight averages 1-4 g.
• The most large-fruited among vegetable varieties of physalis are Moscow early (up to 80 g), Large-fruited (up to 90 g) and Gruntovy Gribovsky (up to 60 g).
• Decorative varieties of physalis have the smallest fruits - up to 2 g, but the size of the amniotic calyx is the largest of all varieties and species.

Physalis planting

What you need to know when growing physalis? That this plant is not as whimsical as it might seem at first glance. Despite the decorative and very unusual look for garden crops, physalis is similar to the usual and familiar tomato in terms of the method of cultivation. The best place on the site for its successful growth and fruiting is selected in the same way as for tomatoes. Physalis in relation to quantity sunlight less whimsical than other nightshades. Physalis planting scheme in open field depends on what species the variety belongs to: 70x70 is suitable for vegetable physalis, and 60x60 cm for berries. It is better to plant seedlings of physalis in the ground or in a greenhouse in the same period as tomatoes. Special attention watering should be given: in the first week, it is necessary to moisten the soil abundantly, making sure that a crust does not form on it.

Plant care and formation

During the growth of the plant, it is important to monitor the cleanliness of the beds from weeds, because close proximity to them can affect the development of the physalis bush. Earthy cranberries or physalis do not need watering from the second half of summer, and are also not susceptible to various diseases characteristic of other nightshades. The plant practically does not need to form a bush, since the more it branches, the greater the yield can be obtained from it. This was influenced by exactly where the flowers are located. Physalis (its photo is presented in the review) must be pinched regularly for better branching.

The chemical composition of fruits

Surely many of the readers will be interested in what nutritional value is characteristic of a culture like physalis, what is this plant like as a food product? It is worth immediately paying attention to the fact that vegetable and berry physalis can be eaten, and decorative is not suitable for this due to the small size of the berries and their low nutritional value. The fruits contain B vitamins (1, 2, 6 and 12), acids (malic, citric, succinic and many others), antioxidants, polyphenols, tannin and glucose. Despite this diversity nutrients, the calorie content of physalis is low and amounts to only 53 kcal for every 100 berries. This is what makes the fruits of this plant an excellent vitamin and dietary product.

The benefits and harms of physalis

The effect on the human body of the fruits of the plant depends on how the physalis is eaten - raw or past heat treatment. When cooked, physalis fruits act as an excellent diuretic and cholagogue than help not only reduce the risk of kidney stones and gallbladder, but also to get rid of already existing concretions. In addition, physalis has a mild analgesic, immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory effect. These properties of the product will be useful to those who have suffered a severe and prolonged illness. Raw physalis fruits restore normal functioning glands internal secretion, and also contribute to recovery from hypertension, dysentery, gastrointestinal diseases and pyelonephritis.

The main contraindication to the use of physalis is individual intolerance to the product.

The use of physalis in cooking

Physalis can be used for cooking a large number a variety of dishes: salads, hot and cold appetizers, desserts, pickles and even wine. The main rule is to always remove the box from the fruit, because this part of the plant is poisonous. The largest number recipes with the use of physalis assigned to the preparation of jam. The fact is that both vegetable and berry physalis have a piquant flavor that goes well with many berries and fruits. In addition, physalis in jam is also combined with zucchini, ginger and pumpkin.

As part of the first and second courses, physalis can generally be used as a decoration or the main component. It makes great tasting casseroles, soups and sauces. For the preparation of snacks, in particular salads, you can use both fresh physalis berries, as well as salted and even soaked fruits.

What to cook with physalis?

Here are a few simple recipes cooking physalis at home.

1. Physalis compote. To prepare it, you will need well-washed and peeled physalis berries, sugar and water, a little citric acid, vanillin, and ginger to taste. First you need to prepare the syrup, for which sugar and water are mixed in equal proportions and the mixture is brought to a boil. Physalis fruits pre-boiled for 5 minutes are cooled in cold water and dipped in syrup (200 g of berries per 1 liter of syrup). After boiling, add citric acid and other flavoring additives.
2. Potato and physalis casserole. Peeled and washed physalis berries (about 500 g) are cut in half or left whole, based on their size. Potatoes (500 g) are peeled, washed and cut into pieces corresponding to the size of the physalis. The vegetables are mixed in a bowl, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Then leek (200 g) and a little greens, cut into half rings, are added to the mixture. The mixture is laid out in a baking dish and placed in the oven for 20 minutes at a temperature of 200-210 degrees. Then you need to pour almost ready vegetables with any sauce and sprinkle with 150 g of grated hard cheese, leave in the oven at a temperature of 210-220 degrees until fully cooked.

3. Cooking this product not much different from salting, for example, cucumbers. For 1 kg of berries you will need about 30 g of dill, 5 g of horseradish, garlic and red hot pepper in pods, as well as a salt solution prepared at the rate of 50 g of salt per liter of water. The physalis and seasonings placed in the container are carefully poured with brine and left at room temperature for about a week, after which it is necessary to drain and boil the brine, then pour it hot again into a container with berries. You can use salted physalis as an independent dish, as well as as a component of many salads.