Tomatillos

[Jeff]

Hello,
I have a wonderful large tomatillo plant that has been blooming for at least a month but has no fruit. I was wonderring if anyone knows anything about the growing cycle for tomatillos. This is my first year growing them. I live in Kansas City, MO.

[GreenZone]

Jeff,
What should happen is that at the base of the yellow tomatillo flower, you would see a green bract. After pollination, the flower fades and whithers. The tiny new fruit will form within the bract and won't be visible for quite some time. Then gradually it expands to fill the bract or husk, eventually getting large enough that the husk splits open. If you feel carefully within the bract or husk you might feel the fruit at a much earlier stage than it would be noticeable visually. Hope this helps.
--randel

[jammar9082]

I have found tomatillos are easy to grow here in Southwest MO. In fact, they are almost a pest. I planted the first seed three years ago and have not planted any more as the volunteer plants keep us supplied. The next time we make salsa I will need to leave more volunteers or plant a row to make sure I have plenty. They are very productive.

[GreenZone]

Jammar,
Would you have any proven recipes for canning salsa made from tomatillos? We're getting enough of 'em now that we soon will put up some salsa but I have no recipes. Got any?
--Randel

[Ozark Matt]

We found our favorite method of eating them is not in salsa (just didn't like it as much as tomatoes). BUT if you dehydrate them they are as sweet as candy...kids didn't like them till they tried them dehydrated...problem now is keeping kids out of them so I can have some...Ha!

[SelfSufficientOne]

I tried the pineapple kind a few years ago but never did get any to grow. May try those again this year. Very interesting on the dehydrating them! Will have to try that sometime. Thanks.

[tashak]

Agree about dehydrating tomatillos, sweet and easy to store.
When I've had an abundance and was in a hurry, I also husk them and then freeze them for later use.

[MichiganderGardener]

I grew the purple tomatillas last year and I loved them! They were sweeter then the green and really delicious! I pick them straight from the bush and eat them while Im out gardening.
I also grow the green tomatillo every year. The plants are prolific and beautiful.
I make salsa and salsa verde with mine since their is such an abundance.
I want to try the pineapple next.

[bluelacedredhead]

Prolific certainly describes tomatillos. I grew 9 plants last year before I read up on them. Most of the online articles or seed company write ups that I found recommended only 2 or 3 plants for an average sized family..
I'll know better this year.
My one mistake was not starting them early enough for this area. The fruits were just approaching picking stage when an early frost got them. I'll be earlier getting them in the ground and protecting them later this year.

[bluelacedredhead]

Didn't someone mention here (obviously on another thread) that they are prone to lots of volunteers in the garden from previous plantings?
Well ain't that the Truth!! I just tilled out about 3 rows of little teensy weensy tomatillo seedlings around my potato plants....
I'm only allowing for one Tomatillo this year, lol

[jetstream]

Volunteer tomatillos are everywhere. I planted them once about five seasons ago and have never had to plant them again. every year is a bumper crop! Tomatillos, cilantro and dill are everywhere. I also let a couple of volunteer tomatoes come up every year also. it's fun seeing just what variety makes it back from the previous year.

[ipaintedmyhousewhite]

My tomatillos have also been blooming for quite some time now with no fruit. The whole blossom is spent and drops off, including what would be the husk on the fruit. I have just gotten my first pollinated flowers this week, and the flower fell out, but the future husk remained on the plant. I have read that tomatoes need to experience a certain temperature at night before they can be pollinated, perhaps it's the same with tomatillos? At any rate, don't worry! Give it some time :)

[ipaintedmyhousewhite]

Hee hee, probably I read about the night temps here. There's a ton of information in these posts. Anyway...

[mrtomatoexpres]

hi iam growing purple tomatillos the mexican people said the green are sour 2 in 5 gal container :)

[Cricket]

Jammar,
Would you have any proven recipes for canning salsa made from tomatillos? We're getting enough of 'em now that we soon will put up some salsa but I have no recipes. Got any?
--Randel

"Proven"? We make a lot of salsa and we don't measure ingredients & don't do anything esoteric. We mix tomatoes and tomatillos. Hope this helps. You just have to taste it. We have Mexican friends here whose mother came to visit and she loved to eat ripe tomatillos whole in one bite. She really relished them. I wish I knew how to get in touch with her. I bet she has some good recipes.

TOMATILLO SALSA
Chopped tomatillos
Vinegar (depends on how ripe tomatillos are) (~4 oz/gal)
Salt
Sugar (to taste)
Onion
Garlic
Any peppers (hot or sweet to taste. We use paprika & Haitian--Poblano would be good, but too long season for us.)

Wash pint jars, new seals and rings and steam sterilize them as per directions. Then, mix ingredients in a stainless or enameled kettle and bring to boil. Turn it off and fill the hot jars with the tomatillo salsa mixture, leaving 1/4" space at the top. Wipe the rims clean and put on the sterilized seals. These have to go in a pressure canner because of the vegetables even with the vinegar. Bring to a boil with the vent lever up. When nothing but steam is coming out, flip the lever out to seal the pressure canner. With pint jars, bring the guage up to 10 lbs., then turn it off
and let it cool down. If you're doing quarts, you have to hold the 10lbs for 10-15 minutes. This will give you an idea. Check your canning cookbooks and pressure cooker directions for adjustments for altitude.

[Helen Wong-Joe]

I grow tomatillos every year and boy do I get alot of them. I use them in my homemade spaghetti sauce or make salsa. To me tomatillos are delicious, period.

[GreenZone]

Cricket thanks for posting that recipe...we always use tomatillos in salsa but haven't canned any but this might be the year!