Incan Berries or Golden Berries

The Incan Berry (physalis peruviana) is also called Golden Berry. It is a relative of the Ground Cherry, with a taste all it own. If you like nutrition packed fresh or dried fruits like wild mulberries or goji berries, you may want to also grow your very own Golden Berries. These berries actually have three different names the Cape Gooseberry, the Goldenberry and the Incan berry. Once cultivated in the Incan Empire, these fully-ripe berries are sweet with a pleasing tart-like tang. Also known as the Cape Gooseberry, the Goldenberry and the Incan berry. Yellow/Orange in color, larger than a raisin or goji berry, containing small chewable seeds. These Incan berries are packed with nutrition. Incan berries have an exotic sweet taste with a consistency similar to raisins when dried. Some describe their flavor as an incredible taste that is exotic, yet familiar, tasting like a lemony sweet candy without being overly tart and sugary. Theyre full

of tiny, chewable seeds that release a wonderful flavor. Incan Berries have an appealing yellow/orange appearance and are slightly larger than a raisin or goji berry. Its has soft velvet like, green, heart shaped leaves. Small 1/2 -3/4, light yellowish-orange, edible fruit, hidden in a papery husk resembling Chinese lanterns. What nutrients do Incan Berries provide? Incan Berries are rich in important nutrients that provide antioxidant protection and support many body functions. Some of the nutrients in Incan Berries are: Vitamin P (also know as flavonoids) helps the body absorb Vitamin C, an important antioxidant. Flavonoids support healthy blood vessels and have anti-inflammatory properties. Pectin is a soluble fiber that helps lower blood cholesterol levels and glucose levels. Vitamin A boosts the immune system, helps to grow and repair body tissues and may help protect the skin against sun damage. Vitamin C contains powerful antioxidants called flavonoids. Flavonoids protect the heart and blood vessels from free radical damage. Vitamin C also helps maintain good HDL cholesterol levels and aids in the production of collagen and glycosaminoglycan, which help strengthen arterial walls. B Vitamins support your nervous system, help break down sugar and neutralize the amino acid homocysteine, which in high levels may cause atherosclerosis. Phosphorous is a mineral that works to increase energy and endurance. It is also vital for bone strength. Protein is abundant in Incan Berries. Protein supports a strong immune system and maintains a variety of body structures like healthy skin, nails and hair. The berries are 16% protein and supply a wonderful plant-based, non-fat source of protein. Incan berries are considered a good source of vitamin P (bioflavinoids) and are rich in pectin. Hundreds of studies on bioflavinoids have demonstrated they possess antiviral, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antihistamine, and antioxidant activities. They make a delicious, tart, and highly nutritious and exotic "raisin." They are high in phosphorous, vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B6, and B12. They are also extremely high in protein (16%) for a fruit. We consider the Golden Incan Berry to be another one of our Creators Super Foods! The Incan Berry plant is an annual herb indigenous to many parts of the tropics, including the Amazon. It can be found on most continents in the tropics, including Africa, Asia, and the Americas. It grows up to 1 mile high, bears small, creamcolored flowers, and produces small, light yellowish-orange, edible fruit. The leaves of the plant have many ethnobotanical uses around the world. The goldenberry is one of the first plants to pioneer degraded areas. Its robustness and adaptability could lead to cultivation in many now unused marginal areas. You can also grow them indoors, in large containers during the winter. The fruit is found in markets from Venezuela to Chile, and the plants have been

grown on limited scale around the world in warm climates. Incan or Goldenberries are succulent golden fruits the size of marbles. They are protected by papery husks resembling Chinese lanterns. Currently in areas where they are grown they are largely regarded as backyard fruits for children, but upscale European markets pay premium prices for them, dipping them in chocolate to decorate pastries. They make excellent jams, which are popular in India and Africa. Eat the Incan Berries dried or fresh, try them raw or dried in salads, in baked goods, or smoothie recipes. When you're looking for that post-dinner or movie snack, these will fill the space. A little go a long way. The fresh Incan berry in it husk keeps several days without refrigeration. And the dried ones need no refrigeration. We dry them on low heat in our food dryer.

Plant Cultivation
Small shrub similar to the common tomato, can be grown as an annual or perennial. Plants are usually small, only 1-3ft in height. They enjoy full sun, fairly warm (but not hot) temperatures, and protection from frost, but Incan Berry plants will withstand light frosts, unlike tomatoes. In areas where frost or freezes occur, plants are easily grown as annuals. Provide lots of water throughout the growing year, except towards fruit ripening time. Grow in most soil types and will do very well in poor soils and in pots. Plants are susceptible to many of the same diseases and pests as the tomato.

Propagation: By seed or cuttings.

The plants appear to need little or no fertilizer. Fruit production decreased significantly when fertilizer was applied. When fish emulsion or 12-5-10 (NPK) fertilizer were applied at rates approximately 45 lb. N/acre (50 kg/ha), the plants exhibited a great deal of vegetative growth but produced few flowers or fruit. Plants planted in sandy soil without any amendment or fertilizer produced 150 to 300 flowers per plant with a corresponding number of fruit. Plants typically have a sprawling habit similar in size and growth pattern to their relative, the tomato. The plants should be trellised or staked.

Sowing Instructions
Sow February to March on the surface of a good free draining, damp seed compost and cover with a fine sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Place in a propagator at a constant temperature of around 18-21C (65-70F) until germination, which takes up to 3 weeks.

Growing Instructions
Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle into 7.5cm (3in) pots and grow on steadily at 15C (60F). Plant out when 20cm (8in) high, or one plant per 30cm (12in) pot. Can also be planted about 3 ft. apart outdoors once risk of frost has passed. Feed regularly with a high potash tomato food once first flowers are setting. Stake plants if necessary.

CULTURE
Location: The plant likes a sunny, frost-free location, sheltered from strong winds. It does well planted next to a south-facing wall or in a patio. Soil: The cape gooseberry will grow in any well drained soil but does best on sandy to gravelly loam. Very good crops are obtained on rather poor sandy ground. Irrigation: The plant needs consistent watering to set a good fruit crop, but can't take "wet feet". Where drainage is a problem, the plantings should be on a gentle slope or the rows should be mounded. Irrigation can be cut back when the fruits are maturing. The plants become dormant during drought. Fertilization: The cape gooseberry seems to thrive on neglect. Even moderate fertilizer tends to encourage excessive vegetative growth and to depress flowering. High yields are attained with little or no fertilizer. Pruning: Very little pruning is needed unless the plant is being trained to a trellis. Pinching back of the growing shoots will induce more compact and shorter plants. Frost Protection: In areas where frost may be a problem, providing the plant with some overhead protection or planting them next to a wall or a building may be sufficient protection. Individual plants are small enough to be fairly easily covered during cold snaps by placing plastic sheeting, etc. over a frame around them. Plastic row covers will also provide some frost protection for larger plantings. Potted specimens can be moved to a frost-secure area. Propagation: The plant is widely grown from seed. There are 5,000 to 8,000 seeds per ounce, which are sometimes mixed with pulverized soil or ashes for uniform sowing. High humidity is required for good germination. The plants can also be propagated from 1 year old stem cuttings treated with a rooting hormone. Plants grown this way flower early and yield well but are less vigorous than seedlings.