Are not-quite-ripe ground cherries toxic to eat? - Ask Extension
Hello! I have heard that you shouldn't eat ground cherries until they are completely ripe and the husk has dried out. Since they are in the nightshade...
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Are not-quite-ripe ground cherries toxic to eat? #777384
Asked November 08, 2021, 1:28 PM EST
Hello! I have heard that you shouldn't eat ground cherries until they are completely ripe and the husk has dried out. Since they are in the nightshade family, I want to be doubly certain they are safe to eat even if they are not completely ripe!
Thanks,
Ary
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Ary: This is complicated. There is a lot of "information" floating around that says, in certain quantities, ground cherry berries are toxic when green. It is true that closely related plants like the nightshade berries do exhibit that increased toxicity when green. But from the piece linked below developed by U.C. Center for Ag and Natural Resources, it appears that little or no testing has actually been done on ground cherries. But my advice, err on the side of safety and don't eat them. Hope this helps. Chip Bubl OSU Extension, Columbia County <personal data hidden> http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/WEEDS/groundcherries.html
