Vegetables 101: What Is a Tomatillo? What Are Tomatillos?

So many vegetables, so many that are unfamiliar! This is the latest in an occasional series of posts, quick, easy and practical information about out-of-the-ordinary vegetables. Recipe suggestions included! Today’s subject? One of my very favorite summer vegetables, the tomatillo! If you’ve never seen a tomatillo growing on the plant, you’re in for a treat, they are so pretty!

WHAT ARE TOMATILLOS? A tomatillo may well look like a “green tomato” (that is, an immature, unripe tomato) and is some times even called a green tomato. But a tomatillo is not a tomato at all, despite its outer appearance! First, a tomatillo is smaller than a tomato, ranging from the size of a golf ball to a baseball. Second, a tomatillo stays green, where an immature green tomato will eventually ripen and turn red.

HOW TO PRONOUNCE TOMATILLO? The word is pronounced [toe-muh-TEE-yo]. The plural of tomatillo is tomatillos [toe-muh-TEE-yoz].

OTHER NAMES FOR TOMATILLOS A tomatillo is also called a husk tomato, jamberry, husk cherry, or Mexican tomato.

TOMATILLOS & MEXICAN CUISINE Tomatillos are a staple in Mexican cuisine, especially in green sauces. If you’ve eaten “salsa verde” on enchiladas then chances are, you’ve eaten tomatillos; if you’ve tucked into a “green chili burger” with gusto then chances are, you’ve eaten tomatillos. With so many Mexican-Americans in the U.S., I suspect that most supermarkets carry tomatillos but if no luck, find a Mexican grocery, you’ll be sure to find tomatillos.

ARE TOMATILLOS EASY TO GROW? Tomatillos are easy to grow in home gardens and hang like mysterious green lanterns from the plant’s stems. On the plant, a tomatillo is encased in an inedible, glossy paper-like husk; as the tomatillo matures inside, it will first fill and then eventually break out of the husk – like a baby chick out of an egg! As soon as the tomatillo begins to crack open the husk, it’s ready to harvest!

THE TOMATILLO SEASON For the record, we grow tomatillos in Eastern Missouri, that’s Zone 6 and

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is known for hot, humid summers. We harvest tomatillos from our backyard garden beginning in July all the way through frost, they are one of the great joys of a garden! Those with warmer climates begin harvesting earlier, those with cooler climates later.

STORING & CLEANING TOMATILLOS We leave the husks on the tomatillos until we’re ready to eat them. No special care is required, tomatillos keep on the counter for a few days or in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. First remove the husk, it’s inedible. The tomatillo inside is quite sticky, wash it as soon as the husk has been removed, then wash your hands too because that sticky residue makes your fingers dry up like prunes! Once the husk is removed, the entire tomatillo is edible, including the skins and the tiny seeds inside. Grocery stores often remove the husks and wash the tomatillos, saving a couple of steps!

WHAT DO TOMATILLOS TASTE LIKE? We like tomatillos both raw and cooked. A raw tomatillo has a wet but not juicy texture, softer than an apple, firmer than a tomato. The taste can be slightly sweet – which is fascinating because cooked tomatillos add a lovely “sourness” to a dish. Some people say the taste of a tomatillo hints of lemon or pineapple.

TOMATILLOS & YOU I’ve listed some favorite recipes for tomatillos below but am really curious, what do you most like to do with tomatillos? What do you think about it? Is it easy to find? Do you grow it? Share your story! Bloggers, feel free to share links to your own tomatillo recipes.