Description
Key Facts
- Key ingredient in Mexican recipes
- Tastes like a citrusy green apple.
- Easy to grow
- Takes about 2 to 3 months to grow
Background
Tomatillo also know as the Mexican Husk Tomato. It has been used in cooking as far back as the Maya and Aztec periods.
Ideal growing location:
- Either outside in the summer – Balcony, patio or vegetable garden in sunshine.
- Or Indoors at anytime of the year – Corner of any room using hydroponics and growing lamp.
- Tastes a bit like a green apple with a citrusy flavour.
- Ideal for Mexican recipes or for cocktail drinks.
- Days from seed to harvest – about 65 to 75 (2 to 3 months)
- About 60 to 90 cm high
Example Tomatillo Recipes
The tomato is a key ingredient in Mexican recipes. And is ideal for Salsa Verde, as part of a ‘green alcoholic’ cocktail drink. Or when used in a Mexican soup, or as a side dish to roast meals
Used in many Mexican and Central-American recipes the tomatillo has been used as an ingredient as far back as the Maya and Aztec periods.
It tastes a bit like a green apple with a citrusy flavour. And the colour will affect all the foods it’s cooked in. It’s a lot smaller than a regular tomato (about the size of a golf ball or smaller)
Example recipes:
- Mexican Salsa Verde (see video)
- Roasted Tomatillo Chicken and Rice Bowls
- Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
2 Ways to grow tomatillo at home
The tomatillo is great for growing at home and will deliver heavy crops on large determinate vines of rounded berries 1 to 2 inches in diameter. Which are enclosed in the thin husk of its extended calyx.
The fruit ripens to a yellow colour, and has a delicious, sweet-tart flavour. Unique garden variety that’s very popular in Mexican cuisine. Matures 65-75 days from germination.
- Grow on under cooler conditions and when about 8 inches tall, either plant in their growing position in the greenhouse.
- Or you can gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions and plant out 18 inches apart in a warm and sunny spot in moist, fertile well drained soil and keep watered.
- Don’t forget light & temperature
You can grow tomatillo tomatoes all year round indoors if you add specialised lights.
More information
Minze Vries –
Great & fun to grow – especially if you are into Mexican meals. It’s very difficult to get fresh in shops and well worth growing indoors using extra lighting