Look for fresh tomatillos at Pacific Rare Plants Nursery’s booth—and get ready to bring some bright, tangy flavor to your summer cooking.
Wrapped in delicate, papery husks, tomatillos may resemble small green tomatoes, but they have a character all their own. Their lively flavor is tart, citrusy, and slightly fruity, making them an essential ingredient in salsa verde and a delicious addition to sauces, soups, stews, and marinades.
Native to Mexico and Central America, tomatillos have been cultivated for thousands of years and were an important food in ancient Mesoamerican cultures. Despite their familiar nickname—Mexican husk tomato—they are not simply green tomatoes. Tomatillos belong to the nightshade family, making them relatives of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants.
A Fruit That Needs Company
Tomatillo plants are generally self-incompatible, meaning their flowers need pollen from another tomatillo plant to produce fruit. Gardeners should grow at least two plants near one another so pollinating insects can move pollen between them.
Flavor and Nutrition
Raw tomatillos are crisp and sharply tangy. Cooking softens their acidity and brings out a subtle natural sweetness. Roasting or charring them adds a deeper, slightly smoky flavor that is especially delicious in salsa.
Tomatillos are naturally low in calories and provide fiber along with several vitamins and minerals. One cup of chopped raw tomatillos contains approximately 40 calories.
How to Select Tomatillos
Choose firm tomatillos with fresh-looking husks that fit closely around the fruit. It is perfectly fine if the growing fruit has filled or split its husk.
The fruit inside should be bright green and free from soft spots, shriveling, or extensive blemishes. Yellowing can indicate greater ripeness and a sweeter, less tart flavor, although very soft or deeply yellow fruit may be past its prime.
How to Prepare Tomatillos
Remove and discard the papery husk. The fruit underneath will usually feel slightly sticky—this is completely natural. Rinse the tomatillos thoroughly under cool running water, gently rubbing the surface to remove the residue.
Tomatillos can be chopped and used raw for a particularly bright, acidic salsa. They can also be simmered, broiled, grilled, or roasted. For deeper flavor, roast them until softened and lightly blistered before blending them with chiles, onions, cilantro, garlic, and lime.
How to Store Tomatillos
Leave the husks intact and refrigerate the tomatillos in a paper bag or loosely covered container that allows some air circulation. Stored this way, they can remain fresh for approximately two to three weeks.
Avoid washing them until you are ready to use them, since excess moisture can encourage spoilage.
RECIPES: Click here for tomatillo recipes.
