Tomatillos

I grew tomatillos for the first time this year. We are addicted to salsa verde in this house and it just seemed silly to be buying it when I knew that nothing I could get from a can would compare to what I could make fresh. That is the understatement of the week. Fresh salsa verde is amazing! I didn't grow many plants. In fact, I started half a dozen seeds a few weeks before the last frost here and they all grew into spindly, scrawny tendrils that eventually died. So at first I was discouraged.

Then, after last frost I decided to try again and direct sow some seeds. I literally sprinkled a pinch in a little spot just to see what would happen. Within a week I had hardy healthy shoots coming up. I eventually thinned these into approximately ten plants. I planted some of them in large pots because I had not planned an area for them and put the rest in an old shady compost pile to try to grow because I just didn't have room. I planted two per pot, which I would not do again.

They were huge! And they flourished! I got a nice crop from the few potted plants I had. The plants that grew in the shade also did well, in many ways better than the pots, however, they were late to produce fruit so I did not get as much as I could have. Next year I will be planting them in an area of their own, probably one of the raised beds in my back garden. They bush, there is no pruning or controlling them. And they need steady water, which was difficult for me since they were in pots and were so big (we'd go away for the weekend and inevitably have weeping plants when we got back). So I made a lot of mistakes, but we got a nice crop considering.

Our tomatillos (tome-ah-tee-owes) were extremely tasty. I grew the green Mexican variety, the most common. They are smaller fruits that look like a green tomato wrapped in a husk. The majority of mine were smaller, maybe 2 inches in circumference. The outer skin is sticky under the husk--nothing a quick rinse in hot water doesn't take care of. They are ripe when they actually burst through their husk.

Their flavor is excellent, almost fruity. They have a very light and crisp texture, almost reminiscent of a star fruit. I wouldn't cook them, mostly because I'm not sure how I would use them that way. I have heard they are tasty grilled. I took most of ours and made salsa verde, of course.

Tomatillos will definitely be a permanent addition to our garden.

Here is our Salsa Verde recipe:
25 (maybe 2 lbs) Tomatillos, husked
4-5 Garlic cloves
1/2 Red Onion
3-4 Jalapenos
Salt to taste
1 bunch (approximately 1-2 cups) Cilantro chopped

Submerge the tomatillos into almost boiling water for 15 seconds. Be careful not to cook the tomatillos. Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse in batched. Combine and adjust ingredients to taste.