Monday, July 16, 2012

Tomatillos


Tomatillos- a first for us.  
The plants are at least five feet tall and have begun producing the husk covered fruits.  This is the first time we have grown them so I'm not sure what to expect. We planted   If all of the flowers turn into fruit we will have a bumper crop -- of salsa!  

It looks like the husks should turn brown but the fruit should preferably remain green, although they say some let the fruit turn colors too, it just changes the taste.  

The hubby has been googling recipes- he's a salsa lover but prefers his hot while I need mine ultra mild.  He mentioned chili verde with pork.

Anyone have some good recipes?








10 comments:

Unknown said...

did you start these by seed? what type of climate do you live in? i would assume they grow in the heat....i would LOVE to grow tomatillos!

petey said...

I don't think mine will make it this year, several came up volunteer, but we have a short season. I need to start them in the green house next year. They won't turn brown, but they will fill out the husk and the husk will start to split from the bottom when they are ready. You can also husk and wash the sticky off them and freeze them whole. Great little fruits!

This salsa recipe from allrecipes.com is very good!
Here is the link
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tomatillo-salsa-verde/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=tomatillos&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=%2frecipe-exchange%2frecipe-requests.aspx

Nancy said...

I grew them a few years ago but the deer ate them, so I never really got to check them out. Lol.

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

I found these at our garden center so they were already started. I'm near St Louis MO but we've been hot this year, much more dry too. We water using a drip hose and have these trellised on cattle fencing, growing next to tomatoes.

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

Thank you. This is the first time we've tried them.

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

I did start some from seed- in the ground, and they are growing but the squash vines took over plus we had deer damage. Not sure if they would have done better placed elsewhere but the ones I planted as plants are huge.

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

We have fishing line strung around T posts and it's kept the deer out pretty well. We had a digger and put up a short chicken wire fence at the bottom and the deer immediately could see where to jump the line. Chicken wire is now down.

Candy C. said...

I grew them a couple of years ago. What Petey said about when they are ready! :)
Elise at Simply Recipes has a Baked Shrimp with Tomatillos on her site that is just to DIE for! She probably has some other recipes too.

Ruth K said...

Depending on how much pork you are cooking, and original and never measured recipe from my mom: Cut your pork in bite size pieces, boil with salt 1/2 medium onion, two cloves of garlic and a few bay leaves cook as long as need it or desired. Now boil about a pound of tomatillos all cleaned up and husked, once boiled and cooled off blend with some of the boiled water, onion about a quarter and a jalapeno or two a handful of cilantro oh and a tinny piece of garlic I would say a smallish clove from the inside. Now that is blended heat in a pan like a ts. of oil kind of fry your sauce and as it simmers you could add some broth from the pork and of course add the pork let it simmer for good half hour or more on low. You decide how thin or thick you want your sauce, my mom also added Chayote squash to the sauce right at the beginning so it will cook with everything else serve over a bed of white rice and throw a few slices of avocadoes if desired. I'm a true Mexican so I don't know how true you want your recipe, sometimes true Mexican cooking gets a big "flip" when they become Americanized. Hope you like and enjoy!

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

My husband loves authentic Mexican cooking! We'll have to try this.