Totally Tomatillo
 

Wow...we have so many new members! I thought I would post my Tomatillo information for the benefit of any who have never grown them. Tomatillos are one of my favorite things to grow but frankly, they are rude!

They will crowd, choke and grow over their unlucky tomato or pepper flatmates in the greenhouse faster than you can believe. You will re-pot them way to many times because they grow about 3 times as fast as tomatoes ( so don't start them too early...)

In the garden, they are a plant on steroids. I live in Mexico and they grow wild here. They completely take over and choke out all other things in their path. You must stake them because if you don't, they will sprawl at an alarming rate and your tomato and pepper plants will be in peril. One woman wrote on her blog "Thank God they are not frost hardy or they would take over the world..." She isn't kidding.

Did I mention they re-seed with a vengeance? I keep black plastic under my plants and keep dropped fruit picked up but even then...I still get little tomatillo plants coming up in the most unlikely places. Frankly, I grow them and the other juvenile delinquent plants (cherry tomatoes, dill, cilantro) in a "special" area all their own. The soil is lousy, there are lots of little rocks and the sun bakes on it 15 hours a day and yet they thrive...go figure.

After all the negatives one is probably wondering why anyone would grow them...SALSA VERDE....a staple in my cooking and in my families meals. In Mexico, they use it on and in everything. I have posted many great recipes using tomatillos here on the forum.

The varieties I grow are:

Cisneros
Grand Maje
Large Purple (From Bakercreek Heirlooms) It is about 3 times the size of the little gumball shaped purple tomatillos one commonly sees.

In addition to salsa verde, I allow some of my green varieties to trun yellow which is when they become very sweet. I cook them into a sauce and can it. I can then open a jar and add mango's, a little red onion, hot peppers and some lime juice for a delicious spicey/sweet salsa.

I use the purple variety for Salsa Violetta, a new family favorite and the single item I can for which I get the most requests. It is also a hot/sweet sauce, a lovely color and terrific served over chicken or pork.

If you have never tried Salsa Verde, you are missing out. My garden would never be complete without tomatillos, no matter what a pain in the behind they are. Those giant plants, loaded with fruit just make you smile!

I remember how freely they reseed!

Is salsa verde similar to tex-mex green sauce? Have you ever made tomatillo jam?

I am thinking about pairing mango-tomatillo salsa with Yellowfin tacos. Now I'm hungry.

Oh, and do you really need two tomatillos for a crop?

Thank you for the info.

I think I read somewhere that you can bury the stem of leggy tomatillo transplants like you can with tomatoes. Does that sound right?

Salsa Verde is Mexican green sauce. I also use it for enchilada sauce. You do need two plants for pollination. And yes, you can bury the stem (you might need a backhoe:lol:) I pretty much have to tie my tomatillo plants up every day as they seem to go into overdrive at night. Use large circumference string/twine on tomatillos as the stems are not nearly as tough as tomato plants and fine twine will cut right through them. The varieties I listed are not as susceptible to fruit drop in the wind as some others.

When I lived in Wyoming, neighbors loved getting 5 gallons of processed tomatillo sauce from me (tomato sauce also...then had "radar" and always seemed to turn up when I was processing something :yes:)
My Mexican neighbors have been fascinated with my drying technique for my tomatoes and now they are all drying their as well. I have no idea why, but none of them dried tomatoes previously. They dry SCADS of chili's as well as spices.

Mango salsa / yellowfin tacos...I am drooling. We can go to the docks and get fresh fish every day so now that is on my list.

I'll take some tacos please! I'm growing tomatillos for the first time. Potting up today to 1 gallon containers and can't wait to see them fruit. Thanks for all the info

I like my tomatillo sauce on pork and chicken. I cover a pork chop with it, wrap in foil, and grill. The sauce cooks down and the acidity of it makes the meat tender. Baked chicken is good with it, too.

[QUOTE=Cole_Robbie;342260]I like my tomatillo sauce on pork and chicken. I cover a pork chop with it, wrap in foil, and grill. The sauce cooks down and the acidity of it makes the meat tender. Baked chicken is good with it, too.[/QUOTE]
My Husband does the same thing except he uses fresh shrimp. Sadly, I am allergic to shellfish DRATS

My all time favorite use for tomatillos is in Chili Verde made with chunks of pork shoulder cooked to the point where the meat is fall apart tender. The process is similar to making a beef stew, except the base is roasted tomatillos and garlic blended together with peppers such as jalapeños and poblanos, and a whole lot of cilantro. It's on of our favorite winter dinners.

Thanks for the insight on growing them, Brokenbar. I always wondered how much different they would be to grow than tomatoes.

I have tomatillos that pop up everywhere from the previous gardener. I always re-pot half a dozen or so and find a suitable spot for them. Chile Verde with pork shoulder is also one of my very favorite things to make from the tomatillos :)

I love verde salsa.

I canned tomatillo salsa 2 seasons ago and I didn't love the finished product.

BUT, I found this authentic Mexican restaurant that served the most amazing salsa verde.

I added 2 avocados, and a bit of creme frache, to my canned salsa and after immersion blending, it is HEAVEN!

I didn't grow tomatillos last year but bought a plant this year. I guess I need to go buy another - for pollination :). The plant that I bought has blooms and even little fruits, but any excuse to return to the nursery is good for me!

I bought some very small tomatillos at a Mexican grocer last fall and found that they make a sweeter verde. I saved seeds but then failed to start them this year, so I'm not sure they will sprout.

I guess this might be a silly question given the colorful description of plant habit above, but do you think it would be possible to grow them in containers? That way I could keep them in my driveway, safely away from my better behaved veggies. :lol:

Just have two pics to add, I love tomatillos too:
[IMG]http://shrani.si/f/1O/Yb/2CQkF93W/tomatillo-konditer.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://shrani.si/f/2Q/yA/3dDqUUN2/cisineros-tomatillo.jpg[/IMG]

Definitely going to check the recipe and preserving forum for your posts! I've been mostly growing them for my husband's chili verde. He smokes the pork shoulder first and then makes the chili. Wonderful stuff on eggs in the morning. I guess I started mine too early because I've already repotted them once and some are flowering. I've been picking the flowers off. The soil is still too cold to plant here besides the fact that the other morning it was 30 degrees.

[QUOTE=BucksCountyGirl;343414]I guess this might be a silly question given the colorful description of plant habit above, but do you think it would be possible to grow them in containers? That way I could keep them in my driveway, safely away from my better behaved veggies. :lol:[/QUOTE]
They grow great in 5 gallon buckets. It does contain them some but I had a friend who had a 7 foot plus one in a 5 gallon bucket!

[QUOTE=Patihum;343505]Definitely going to check the recipe and preserving forum for your posts! I've been mostly growing them for my husband's chili verde. He smokes the pork shoulder first and then makes the chili. Wonderful stuff on eggs in the morning. I guess I started mine too early because I've already repotted them once and some are flowering. I've been picking the flowers off. The soil is still too cold to plant here besides the fact that the other morning it was 30 degrees.[/QUOTE]
I did mine in Wyoming 4 weeks from planting out. They are turbo-injected growing machines.
Living in Mexico, I can start them any time and plant them out. They are a great thickener for soup or stew. I just run them through the food processor. My husband eats salsa verde on everything so I can plenty.
I can get them at the outdoor market here in Mexico year round fresh but I like to have it already canned and ready to use. My garden is done by July as we travel so much in the fall.

brokenbar - My climate in Nebraska is probably similar to your days back in Wyoming (jealousy abounds). When did you plant your tomatillos relative to tomatoes, and when did fruit production begin ? I planted a lone tomatillo last year late in the season from a sale rack. It never produced ANY fruit. I don't know if it was lack of pollination, or if I ran out of season. Do you need two varieties to pollinate, or will two plants of the same variety work? Did you have a raccoon problem with Tomatillos back in Wyoming?

This is my first year with them, if I crowd them a bit will the plants and fruits slow down a bit as a tomato would? I have 5 plants about 18" apart right now. I had intended to thin them once the birds and cutworms got their share (as they always do). I'm wondering if it would be better to let them be. Maybe they would be more manageable?

[QUOTE=greenthumbomaha;343625]brokenbar - My climate in Nebraska is probably similar to your days back in Wyoming (jealousy abounds). When did you plant your tomatillos relative to tomatoes, and when did fruit production begin ? I planted a lone tomatillo last year late in the season from a sale rack. It never produced ANY fruit. I don't know if it was lack of pollination, or if I ran out of season. Do you need two varieties to pollinate, or will two plants of the same variety work? Did you have a raccoon problem with Tomatillos back in Wyoming?[/QUOTE]
You need two plants for pollination (same or different, does not matter) When you start your tomatoes from seed, wait 2 weeks and start the tomatillos. I never had them not produce fruit in Wyoming and I probably had a shorter growing season than you do in Nebraska (gee I miss that short growing season...OH YEAH SURE!) I never had anything bother the tomatillos...deer don't like them and never had a coon problem with anything but sweet corn...had to build Fort Knox, (7' fence, hot wire top and bottom) to keep the little baasstardos out. (I spelt it the Spanish way and the "Cussing Filter" still got it!)

I loved tomatillos because they were one of the traditional warmer climate vegies that thrived for me in Wyoming.

[QUOTE=indigosand;343724]This is my first year with them, if I crowd them a bit will the plants and fruits slow down a bit as a tomato would? I have 5 plants about 18" apart right now. I had intended to thin them once the birds and cutworms got their share (as they always do). I'm wondering if it would be better to let them be. Maybe they would be more manageable?[/QUOTE]
Crowd 'em all you want..,.they will grow into a giant hedge and will laugh at you. Where they grow wild in Mexico, it looks like an impenetrable 6 foot tall forest...nothing grows in these big colonies because they completely choke other stuff out and block the sun.

I have tried abusing Tomatillos but they pretty much ignored me and they seemed to like it..:D

Now? This advice is posted now? I, for some reason (I think it was so we could all have a good laugh) started my tomatillos back when I started my peppers. A month before my tomatoes, which I started six weeks before plant out. Yes, that's right, 10 weeks of tomatillos before plantout, still four more weeks to go. It's invasion of the toms in my windows right now :)

[QUOTE=Rideau Rambler;343851]Now? This advice is posted now? I, for some reason (I think it was so we could all have a good laugh) started my tomatillos back when I started my peppers. A month before my tomatoes, which I started six weeks before plant out. Yes, that's right, 10 weeks of tomatillos before plantout, still four more weeks to go. It's invasion of the toms in my windows right now :)[/QUOTE]
You might have to move to a hotel for the duration...! I wish we could harness the tomatillo "grow gene" and infuse our pepper and tomato plants with it...on second thought, maybe not.:no:

Can they handle a shadier area? How about an area of clay and gravel with irrigation every two weeks? In Arizona? I have some purple seed I'm starting but I'd like to get some Cisneros.
I lost all my tomatillos to blister beetles last year right when they were starting to have loads of fruit.:(

[QUOTE=brokenbar;343784]Crowd 'em all you want..,.they will grow into a giant hedge and will laugh at you. Where they grow wild in Mexico, it looks like an impenetrable 6 foot tall forest...nothing grows in these big colonies because they completely choke other stuff out and block the sun.

I have tried abusing Tomatillos but they pretty much ignored me and they seemed to like it..:D[/QUOTE]
oh dear, maybe I should move the sweet peppers I have planted in front of them. :?:

My Tomatillo Salsa
 

I was planning on creating a new thread for my Tomatillo Salsa adventure this past weekend, but Since I just noticed this one started by brokenbar, and since I'm a huge fan of hers and the tomatoes she shared with us all a couple years back; and since I'm so glad to see her back here at the TV, I figure I'll post an add-on to this thread.

I have 2 Toma Verde (1st pic) and 2 and "a half" Gigante tomatillo (2nd pic) plants growing in my garden. I purchased both seeds from Burpee. So far, the the Verde plants seem to have produced bigger and more and nicer fruit than the better positioned, and more vegetative, Gigante vines.

I'm dying to make salsa from my tomatoes, but between all the powdery mildew, thrips and other pests pressures, heat stress, and birds harvesting my goodies, I've not managed to collect enough for a batch. But I had a decent crop of tomatillo fruit this Sunday, which I harvested up and put to use in a Salsa Verde type recipe.

I've posted pics kind of showing what I did. I also harvested a selection of peppers from my so so doing plants: Tam Jalapeno, Salsa Hybrid (Burpee), Godfather (Burpee, similar to Anaheim), and one other Italian frying pepper I can't recall the name for.

Since my grill is out of propane and it was too hot to mess with charcoal outside, I decided to get some hickory smoking wood chips (from Safeway), which I placed a few handfuls of in my oil-lined cast-iron Le Cruset dutch oven. I then put down another layer of foil atop the wood chips and let the pot cook on the stove at medium high heat for around 10 min. It began to smoke, so I added the tomatillos and peppers series in order to smoke and somewhat steam them. While one batch was cooking/smoking (covered) in the dutch oven, I'd roast a batch of peppers in a pan so they get that crispy, burnt, roasted taste. I'd smoke those a bit too before throwing everything into the blender.

I had to blend in four rounds. To each cycle, I added a good handful of chopped cilantro, a dash of fresh oregano, salt, cracked pepper, dash of Asafetida (garlic substitute), and the juice from one half of a squeezed lime. I Also added about one half a cup of halfed sungold cherry tomatoes, since I had them to use. I didn't add any garlic or onions, since I am allergic to both, and I can say the result didn't suffer for their lack.

After blending each of the four batches, I mixed them together in the dutch oven (sans wood chips) with no heat. I added more salt to taste, mixed, and loaded up pint jars. All except two of the jars went through a pressure cooker cycle of 15-min at 10lb. My wife said it was the best salsa she'd ever had, but then the heat from the peppers hit her and that all changed somewhat. I'm very happy with the result. I think I'll be able to harvest a second load in another month or so, and so I can get another round of salsa made. These pints will not last long, they go down so fast.

My best wishes to all and nice to see you back brokenbar.
-naysen

I made my tomatillo pork dish last night. It was excellent.

My mom took her tomatillos to the farmer's market and no one bought them. Most people did not know what they were.

I used about two quart boxes of tomatillos. I quartered them, chopped them in a food processor, and then pureed them with a stick blender, adding a generous amount of lemon juice and salt. It makes a lime green sludge.

I boiled two bags of boil-in-bag rice, and dumped that in a glass casserole dish. On top of that I added a few pork chops cut into bite-size chunks. Then dump the tomatillo sauce over that, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes at 375. After that, I take it out of the oven, cover with shredded cheddar cheese, and bake uncovered at 400 for 10-15 minutes until the cheese starts to burn.

I've never had a better casserole. The stuff is just phenomenal.

If you get them faster than you can process them is it good to store them in the fridge or will they lose flavor like a tomato? How long will they keep in the fridge - or on the counter?

Being a gringa, I'm curious how they taste if you let them ripen.

Who ever thought "sludge" could taste that good??? If you let tomaillos ripen/turn yellow, they are very, very sweet which also makes a nice hot/sweet salsa if that is what you prefer.

I use the "regular" salsa verde as my enchilada sauce.

Regarding seed saving...

If they don't change color when they ripen, how do you know when they are ripe enough for seed?

How do you process the seed? Fermenting like tomato seed doesn't seem to work very well.

I took seeds from tomatillos that were starting to crack open or show some rot from ripeness. Then I spread the seeds out on newspaper and removed as much of the fruit pulp. When they dry, that's it. I planted some seeds from a year ago and they sprouted in about four days. Seeds are hard and smooth like cucumber seeds.