Ground Cherry Salsa

This recipe features a fruit that most people aren’t familiar with: ground cherries. These little fruits are a true summer delight. Ground cherry salsa is an easy way to use these unique fruits and try out all new flavors.

The first time I was able to try one was when I was a part of a CSA in central Massachusetts. We got half a pint of ground cherries as a part of our share one week in July, and being honest, I ate all of them on the drive home. I hadn’t tasted anything like them before.

What are Ground Cherries?

The first question you may have is, “what in the heck is this fruit?” followed by, “these don’t look like cherries.”

Also known as golden berries, cape gooseberries (South Africa), husk cherries, physalis (UK), or uchuvas (Colombia), ground cherries are a part of the nightshade family, just like potatoes, eggplant, tomatoes, or tomatillos (to which they have a passing resemblance). Ground cherries are covered in a husk that turns brown and papery as the plant ripens, similar to a tomatillo.

If you’re picking them in person, don’t pluck them off the plant, as they don’t really ripen on their own. Wait until they fall to the ground to harvest (hence their name).

Flavor-wise, they’re pretty unique. I think they have flavors of pineapple, tomato, vanilla, and mango. They’re pretty unique.

Why Make Ground Cherry Salsa?

Okay, now that you know what ground cherries are, why would you make a salsa with them. I mean, I will straight up warn you that if you pick these up from the farmers market, it’ll be really hard not to eat them all at once. These fruits are great for snacking, and they feel like little treats because you have to unwrap each one.

But… resist! This salsa is tangy, sweet, and spicy. It is the perfect topping for al pastor tacos, fish tacos, eggs, you name it. At first, the spiciness from the serrano is dominant, but as the flavors meld together, the sweet and tangy ground cherries come to the forefront. The combination of sweet and sour will have you digging in for more. 

Ground Cherry Salsa Ingredients and Substitutions

Ground Cherries

I’ve already covered the ground cherries above in terms of flavor, so I’ll keep it brief here regarding substitutions. There’s really nothing that duplicates the flavor and texture of ground cherries. In terms of something that would taste good in this recipe, I would recommend diced pineapple or mango chunks. This will result in a different taste, but it will still be good.

Serrano Peppers

Serrano peppers are how this salsa gets its heat. I used the whole serrano, ribs and seeds included, because I wanted it spicy.

If you’re looking for less heat, try removing the seeds/ribs of the pepper (this is where most of the capsaicin 

Limes

Lime juice brings this whole salsa together. If you don’t have fresh limes, I would substitute with another citrus, with oranges or grapefruit being preferred. 

Cilantro

I absolutely love cilantro, and use it all the time. Cilantro brightens up this salsa, and adds grassy and more citrus notes.  

If you don’t like cilantro, use parsley. It won’t be the same, but it also won’t taste like soap (if that’s a thing for you). Another option could be carrot tops, as those are also a part of the same botanical family as cilantro.

Trivia note: the literal translation of the Mandarin word for cilantro/coriander, xiāng cài, means “fragrant vegetable.” How appropriate!

Red Onion

While not as sweet as a sweet yellow or Vidalia onion, red onions are nevertheless a sweeter variety of onion than your average white onion. 

Ground Cherry Salsa Serving Suggestions

Use this ground cherry salsa anywhere you’d use a pico de gallo, especially one with fruitier flavors. I used this batch to top some breakfast tacos with eggs and leftover flank steak; I can wholeheartedly recommend this combination. The salsa will get sweeter with time, as the lime juice will pull out the sugars in the ground cherries and the red onion. 

Continue to Content

Ground Cherry Salsa

Yield: 1 cup salsa

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This salsa is tangy, sweet, and spicy. It is the perfect topping for al pastor tacos, fish tacos, eggs, you name it. At first, the spiciness from the serrano is dominant, but as the flavors meld together, the sweet and tangy ground cherries come to the forefront. The combination of sweet and sour will have you digging in for more. 

Print

Ingredients

• 1 pint Ground Cherries
• 1 Serrano Pepper
• ½ Small Red Onion
• ¼ cup Cilantro, leaves and tender stems
• ½ Lime
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Remove papery husks from ground cherries. Rinse under cold water to remove any residual dirt. Cut ground cherries into quarters. Add to a mixing bowl.
2. Finely dice the serrano pepper. Remove ribs and seeds if lower spice level is desired. Add to bowl.
3. Dice the red onion and finely chop the cilantro. Add to bowl.
4. Juice the lime and add to bowl and mix all ingredients together. Taste, and season with salt (I used 1/4 tsp kosher salt).
5. Enjoy!

Notes

The salsa will get sweeter the longer it sits, as the lime juice will pull out the sugars from the ground cherries and the red onion.

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