Kitchen Garden Forum

For those who were so disheartened by last years blight - as well as tomatoes, I will be planting cape gooseberries and tomatillos this year, both are quite acceptable substitutes if the tomato crop is lost to blight. Cape gooseberries in their little paper cases keep well for several weeks, and tomatillos, have a nice sweet sour balance when ripe, I actually prefer them to tomatoes when cooked, there are two varieties of tomatillo available in UK one a pale golden green when ripe the other has a deeper purple skin colour, again both keep well in their papery husk. Sometimes if ripe fruit drop they seed themselves, to produce small seedlings in autumn, these can be brought into the greenhouse and potted up to produce an early crop the following year, mine in the greenhouse have developing fruit cases already. Each year I spread seeds from best plant on kitchen paper and dry naturally then just plant the whole sheet for next years seedlings same time as early tomatoes, wait till it warms up to plant them out, cold will set them back a bit.

Tomatillos can also be used to make a fine tangy chutney.

....and the mexicans use them to make salsa I believe

I really like the sound of these tomatillos. Next year I must make a little space in our small hard-worked harden to try growing some. Are the plants ever sold in gaden centres? I've never seen any, otherwise I would have bought one. Buying a packet of seed when I'd probably only have space for one, or possibly two plants, seems rather a waste, unless the seeds are like tomatoes and last for years.

Primrose, send me your address and when I save this years seed I will send u some.
Please send e-mail addresses via PM's so they don't get harvested.

Thank you N B. Have sent this via a pm.

Primrose - I read that you may only want to grow one plant of Tomatillo due to space limitations. I have read that plants are not self fertile so you will need at least two plants.

Marken, thanks for that comment. I wasn't aware of that. It so happens that both the seeds I sowed have just germinated so I've allocated a small space where I can plant them close to each other and will see what happens. I suspect, that because I've sown them so late, I won't get mature enough plants to provide a realistic crop this year but there's always next season for a better trial.
Nature's Babe - when did your sow yours? I imagine they'll soon be large enough for you to plant them out, or do you grow yours in a greenhouse?

Hi folks. These Tomatillo thingies, what do they taste like ? I've been offered a plant and am considering it. Also, what do they need to be grown successfully ? Location, feed etc...

Cheers...freddy.

freddy - take the plant! I'm going to be a first time grower of tomatillos this year too and will be planting mine outside when they're eventually big enough, so we novices will be able to compare notes.

Freddy you will need two plants to fertilise, they branch a lot and can get heavy with fruit so put some twiggy sticks for support, ( like peas ) they ripen better in sun but will tolerate a little shade. feed like tomatoes, mulch to keep the ground moist. if a branch breaks off you can make another plant by rooting it in a pot of water. The lantern husks are green at first, but as they ripen husks go dry like parchment, they keep well for a few weeks in the husk, so leave husk on till you use them. Good luck to you both.

I can't wait to see (and taste) the end result. I'm not sure I've ever seen a tomatillo in the flesh. From the explanation of them they sound as if they grow rather like Chinese lanterns or phyaslis. Does anybody know whether they're ever available in supermarkets? With all the exotica they're selling these days I'm surprised nobody has started stocking them.

I have been contemplating growing both tomatillos and cape gooseberries, but I haven't got round to them yet. It will be interesting to hear how you get on. I suspect they will do very well here in Bedford, so long as I don't try to plant them out too soon; we are subject to late frosts.

Ok. I've got two plants, and going to give them a go. I'd still like to know what they taste like. Are they like Cape Gooseberries ? Hopefully not, because my wife said she doesn't like those

Cheers...freddy.

Hi freddy

If she doesn't like cape gooseberries she probably will like tomatillos even less

I think of them as a "Marmite" fruit - you love 'em or you hate 'em.
Personally I love them, but haven't grown them for a good ten years now.

Naturebabe's post gives a misleading impression, I think - they are definitely not a substitute for tomatoes. They are nothing like tomatoes in taste. They are best eaten underripe and are used in cooked salsas and Mexican-type stews. I used to prefer them sliced raw in salads, when they have a sharp taste with none of the sweetness of tomatoes. When overripe they taste bland and rather cloying - not to be recommended.

More info here http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/P ... illos.aspx