3. Cape Gooseberries

3. Cape Gooseberries Most people have never heard of a cape gooseberry and few have had an opportunity to taste this unique berry. They are also known as Peruvian ground cherries, Rasbhari berries and Golden Berries. They are easy to grow in a temperate climate and are very nutritious. Most people simply remove the husk and eat the berries raw. They also can be made into jams, jellies, added to salads, and made into sauces for pasta. Dried gooseberries will enhance the flavor of just about any dish. This berry is loaded with polyphenols and carotenoids and 100 grams of the berry provides 14% and 18% respectively of our daily requirements of vitamin A and C. A 100 gram serving of ground cherries also provides 4 grams of protein. Finally, Rasbharies are rich in B vitamins, thiamine and niacin. Cape gooseberries have a ORAC of 3874 which makes them reasonably effective in fighting the free radicals that are so harmful to our bodies. Here are some of the most important health benefits of this unique berry. Bone health Cape gooseberries facilitate calcium absorption which makes the bones stronger and their extracts have been used to treat rheumatism and dermatitis. Anti-bacterial properties Clinical studies have shown that cape gooseberry extracts will kill both gram negative and gram positive bacteria including E. coli Staph aurous, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas and they have been used to treat a wide variety of bacterial conditions. Asthma Cape gooseberries contain ant-inflammatory agents that are useful in the treatment of asthma and related pulmonary diseases. Eye health The vitamin A in cape gooseberries decreases the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Cardiovascular benefits The polyphenols and cartenoids in cape gooseberries reduce the risk of hypertension and heart disease. Traditional uses in folk medicine The Rasbhari berry has been used to treat a wide variety of medical conditions including malaria, rheumatism, dermatitis, asthma, hepatitis, leukemia and other forms of cancer. Potential health hazard Unripe cape gooseberries, berries that are green in color, contain mild forms of poisonous alkaloids which may cause allergies; thus, to be on the safe side, do not consume berries that are green in color or berries that have a green husk. Propagation of cape gooseberries This berry is extremely easy to grow in a temperate climate. They do best in full sunlight and when grown in an organically rich soil. The branches of this berry should be tied to a three wire trellis similar to the one described in the chapter on Goji berries. If not grown on a trellis the branches of berry will sprawl over the ground. This will impede the ripening of the berry and complicate their harvest. Preferably, cape gooseberries should not be harvested until they are fully ripe and have fallen to the ground. I harvest my berries on a weekly basis by shaking the berries' branches gently and picking up the yellow colored husks which have fallen to the ground. Cape gooseberries are easy to propagate from seeds or cuttings.