Can anyone offer tips for using Tomatillos?

[Colin_M]

We were lucky enough to be given some Tomatillo seeds by Natures Babe earlier this year. These have now reached maturity and we'll shortly have a good'ish crop of fruit.

Can NB or anyone else advise:
Some good ways of using them
The best time to harvest
I've heard they lose some of their distinctive sharpness if allowed to go fully ripe.

Here's one caught in the weekend rain:


I was really pleased with the way the hoverfly came out on this - you can see a much more detailed copy here

[Nature's Babe]

The hoverflies have been round mine too, their flowers seem to attract the pollinators.! Here are some salsa recipes in this link
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Salsa-De-T ... eThis.aspx
http://vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/tom ... cipe-1.php

they usually fill the calyx till they split their skins, use early if you like a sharp flavour or just as they begin to turn paler for a nice sweet sour balance, I like them simply grilled then, if I have a glut i use them to make a nice bottled curry sauce, the sweet/sour base suits a curry.

On the second link there is an an advert for a free riverford organic veg box to try

[Primrose]

Alas I'm not in your lucky state Colin but Nature's Babe also kindly sent me some tomatillo seeds but it was really a little too late in the season for me to sow them and expect much of a crop. Only one of my three plants has developed a husk and the inner fruit is only pea size. I'm sure it's probably now too late for them to grow much bigger. How big does the fruit grow to in a normal season. My two other plants have plenty of flowers but probably a bit late now to expect anything else to happen?

[Colin_M]

Hi Primrose, the outer cases of our ones all seem to be reaching 2 - 2.5 inches wide, with the biggest nearly 3 inches.

Of course the fruit inside is much smaller - so far around 1.25 inches. From pictures I've seen online, the fruit can eventually burst through the skin. The wind has blown over some of our plants but I will try to leave one or two branches unpicked to see what happens later in the ripening stage.

Now off to try out some of NB's recipes!

[Nature's Babe]

Hi Colin and Primrose, check the tomatillos lower down on the branches they get bigger first and the ones at the end of the branches last, they mature over a longer period than tomatoes, although they should grow to a normal tomato size, yours sound a bit small to use yet Colin, I usually wait till they fill the caylix, they can be bitter if very unripe. I've just started harvesting mine now, but I'm in the S East so it might be warmer here. the cape gooseberries are ripening outside too, and we had our first dessert grapes from the greenhouse yesterday.the grape vine fruits outside are still green though.

[Colin_M]

I had a look through your recipes then adapted some on Saturday NB and it came out tasting delicious!

I used a combination of small ones (finely chopped, raw) and two large ones (dry roasted). The high winds have broken off a couple of branches so I have some more small ones to play with today.

The plants certainly grow quite large and range don't they? I've added some more canes and used twine to support them. So far they have been great fun and I'll certainly grow them again.

[Nature's Babe]

Hiu Colin, yes they can spread a bit, I put a thick straw mulch under mine, if they flop it keeps the fruit clean, and helps conserve moisture. Glad you are enjoying them. I save the seed from the best fruit on the best plant, then plant quite a few and select the finest seedlings in the spring.