Physalis
Golden berries in a papery husk, also called cape gooseberries or ground cherries. Husk off, ripe only, cooked or quartered.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat physalis from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve physalis by age
6 months+
Cooked and mashed or blended
Pull off the papery husk and use only ripe berries that are golden or orange all over. Simmer them in a little water until they burst and turn soft, then mash or blend them. Stir them into a food your baby already eats, like oatmeal, mashed banana, or plain full-fat yogurt (once dairy has been introduced on its own). Don't add sugar.
- Size
- Ripe berries cooked until soft, then mashed or blended and stirred into a soft food, or served on a pre-loaded spoon. No raw or whole berries.
- Check before serving
- Check the bowl before serving: every berry burst and mashed, with no round berries, no husk and no green berries.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Cooked and mashed, lumpier
Cook ripe physalis until it collapses, then mash it roughly and stir into oatmeal, yogurt or soft-cooked apple or pear.
- Size
- Cooked berries mashed into a lumpy sauce, with any pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Squash a piece between your thumb and finger: it should flatten easily. No firm or round berries left.
12 months+
Ripe and quartered, or cooked
Ripe physalis that passes the squash test can be served raw now: cut each berry lengthwise into quarters and press the pieces flat. Halves are still too big and round. Keep cooking firmer berries. Stay with your toddler while they eat.
- Size
- Ripe, soft berries cut lengthwise into quarters, each about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) wide or less, then pressed flat, or cooked and mashed.
- Check before serving
- Check the plate before serving: no whole or halved berries, no husk, and every piece squashes easily between your thumb and finger.
18 months+
Quartered, cooked or baked in
Toddlers still choke on small round foods. Keep cutting ripe physalis lengthwise into quarters, or cook it into a sauce for oatmeal, yogurt or pancakes. If you offer dried physalis (goldenberries), soak or simmer them until soft and chop them small, and serve them with a meal. Make sure your toddler sits down to eat, and stay with them.
- Size
- Ripe berries cut lengthwise into quarters, each about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) wide or less, or cooked into dishes.
- Check before serving
- Check the plate before serving: no whole or halved berries, no husk, and every piece squashes easily between your thumb and finger.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare physalis
- 1
Peel back the papery husk, pull it off and throw it away.
- 2
Use only ripe berries, golden or orange all over, and throw away any green ones (our suggestion). A review of wild Physalis species found little evidence of serious poisoning, but it says solanine is reported in the green fruit and the leaves are considered somewhat poisonous. As with tomatoes, the fruit is eaten and the leaves are not.
- 3
Rinse the berries under running water.
- 4
For babies, simmer them in a splash of water for about 5 minutes, until they burst and soften, then mash and let them cool. From 12 months, cut ripe, soft berries lengthwise into quarters and press them flat.
How much to offer
Start with a teaspoon or two of cooked, mashed physalis stirred into a familiar food. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.
Common mistakes
Serving them whole
A whole physalis is small and round, a choking hazard for babies and toddlers. Cook and mash it, or from 12 months cut ripe, soft berries lengthwise into quarters.
Using green or unripe berries
Our suggestion is to serve only ripe, golden or orange fruit, throw away green berries, and keep the plant's leaves and stems away from children. A review of wild Physalis species found little evidence of serious poisoning, but it says solanine is reported in the green fruit and the leaves are considered somewhat poisonous.
Leaving the husk on
The papery husk isn't food. Take it off completely before cooking or serving, and check the plate for any bits.
Giving whole dried goldenberries
The NHS says not to give whole dried fruit to babies under 1 and to always cut it into small pieces, and the CDC lists uncooked dried fruit as a choking hazard for young children. Soak or simmer them until soft and chop them small, and serve them with meals to protect teeth (NHS).
Where US and UK guidance differ on physalis
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
For babies under 1, the AAP says that apart from mashed banana, most fruits should be cooked until soft, as this page does. The CDC lists uncut berries and uncooked dried fruit as choking hazards for young children, without a set age, so keep quartering fresh physalis and softening dried goldenberries through the toddler years.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says to cut small round fruits like berries into quarters, to try steaming or simmering firm fruits for very young children, and not to give whole dried fruit to babies under 1. This page cooks physalis for babies under 1 and quarters ripe, soft berries from 12 months.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can physalis be a choking hazard for babies?
Whole physalis berries are a choking hazard for babies and toddlers: they're small and round, and the CDC lists uncut berries as foods to avoid for young children. Cook and mash them, or from 12 months cut ripe, soft ones lengthwise into quarters. Check the plate for any round berries, and stay with your child while they eat.
Can babies be allergic to physalis?
Physalis is not a common allergen. It belongs to the nightshade family, along with tomatoes and potatoes.
Are physalis healthy for babies?
Raw ground cherries (cape gooseberries) have about 11 mg of vitamin C and 1 mg of iron per 100 g (FoodData Central). A few berries give only a small amount of iron.
Are cape gooseberries and ground cherries the same thing?
They're close relatives in the Physalis group, and FoodData Central lists them in one record ("groundcherries, cape-gooseberries or poha"). This page covers them all. They aren't the same fruit as the green or red gooseberries on our gooseberries page. Tomatillos are a larger Physalis fruit that is cooked and eaten green: see our tomatillo page.
Is unripe physalis poisonous?
A review of wild North American Physalis species found little evidence of serious poisoning, but it says the leaves are considered somewhat poisonous and solanine is reported in the green fruit. Our suggestion is to give only ripe, golden or orange physalis, throw away green berries, and keep children away from the plant's leaves. If your child eats unripe fruit or leaves, see when to call the doctor below.
Can babies eat dried goldenberries?
Not as they come. Dried physalis is small and chewy. The NHS says not to give whole dried fruit to babies under 1 and to always cut it into small pieces, and to give dried fruit with meals rather than as a snack, because its sugar can cause tooth decay. Soak or simmer them until soft and chop or mash them first.
If your baby refuses physalis
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Physalis can taste sharp. Mix a little into mashed banana, cooked apple or pear, or oatmeal.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
- Funny faces don't mean they dislike it. They're getting used to a new taste and texture.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing physalis
- Keep fresh physalis in the fridge, at or below 40°F (4°C), and rinse the berries just before using.
- Cooked physalis keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- Cooked, mashed physalis can be frozen in small portions and used within 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, use it within 24 hours of thawing, and stir it into oatmeal or yogurt.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your child has eaten green (unripe) physalis or chewed the plant's leaves or stems. Get advice straight away: in the US, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222; in the UK, the NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E if a child may have swallowed something harmful, or to call NHS 111 if you're not sure it's harmful. If they keep vomiting, are floppy or hard to wake, have trouble breathing or have a seizure, call your emergency number.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- Kindscher K, et al. The ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology of wild tomatillos, Physalis longifolia, and related Physalis species: a review. Economic Botany, 2012
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: When can babies start solid foods?
- NHS: Preparing food safely for babies
- NHS: What to feed young children
- Poison Control: Poisonous and non-poisonous plants
- NHS: Poisoning
- USDA FoodData Central: Groundcherries, (cape-gooseberries or poha), raw
- FDA: 7 tips for cleaning fruits and vegetables
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
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