Inca Berries
Introduction
Inca berries are fruit the size of cherries and packed full of goodness. According to published food sources they contain almost as much vitamin A as carrots, more iron than kale, and more potassium than bananas.
Best of all, they taste good. Inca berries are sometimes referred to as cape gooseberries, and are not too dissimilar in taste to dessert gooseberries. The inca berries I have grown are slightly sweeter than my homegrown gooseberries, but tangy at the same time.
Planting
- Planting depth: 1 cm deep
- Planting spacing: minimum distance 50 cm apart in all directions
Harvesting
- Best enjoyed fresh (remove from their hood and give the fruit a wash with water before eating as the skin can be a little sticky)
(inside)
(outside)
(fresh)
(stored)
= jar, = freeze, 
= store
Varieties
Inca berries are an exotic fruit originating from South America. As far as I am aware, there is only one variety of Inca berry available to buy in the UK.
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Growing
On my allotment, I have grown Inca berries successfully in a polytunnel as an annual plant following a similar method to tomatoes – but requiring less care.
Despite their South American heritage, Inca berries have a reputation for being hardy. When the plants die back in winter, a thick mulch covering may be sufficient to allow the plants to survive, and if successful will bring even bigger harvests the following year. However, on my plot located in the relatively warm south east of England, my plants have not survived the winter.
Inca berries need a long growing season, and the seeds need warmth to germinate. Sowing the seeds on a sunny windowsill in February or March is best.
I sow two seeds for each small pot, placing them on top of moist compost and covered with a thin layer of perlite. A protective hood of food wrap, or if possible placing inside an electric propagator, can help. The seeds take their time to germinate, approximately 20 days.
Young inca berry plants will be killed by frost, so if in doubt, wait until late May before moving outside. Once established, the plants look strong, with big green leaves, and soon develop into plants similar in size to tomatoes.
Inca berry plants are very easy to care for. They are tolerant of dry conditions (but keep the soil moist), do not require pruning, and do not require support (the fruit are small and light).
The first sign of the fruit to come is the formation of buds suspended from the branches. These develop into small bright yellow flowers, that in turn will be where the fruit forms.
From a February indoor sowing, the first fruit usually arrive in August, which is a relatively long growing season. The fruit is worth the wait. I think they are tiny mouthfuls of delightfulness, tasting like nothing else grown on my plot. Removing their fragile leaf hoods is like unwrapping a present, with the mysterious bright orange fruit protected within.
I would not describe the harvests I've achieved as large, certainly when compared to a tomato plant or gooseberry bush. My understanding is that if the plants are successfully overwintered, the second year’s harvest is larger.