An Exhaustive Guide to TOMATILLOS
The first time I saw a tomatillo, I was apprehensive about buying one from the farmer's market. At first glance, tomatillos looked like unripe green tomatoes, but the farmer assured me that they are something entirely different.
After that, it was all questions: should I cook tomatillos in their husks or remove the paper husk first? How come they're so waxy once the peel has been taken off? Another mystery is why a tomatillo's interior is so much drier and denser than a tomato's.
I was coaxed into purchasing some, and so I brought some home to try. As soon as I figured out how to prepare and cook tomatillos, I became obsessed with their juicy, bright flavor.
Tomatillo: What's It All About?
Along with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and potatoes, tomatillos (also known as husk tomatoes) are annual plants in the nightshade family. Although tomatillo plants are in the tomato family, they don't yield tomatoes' juicy fruit. Instead, tomatillos are more like unripe tomatoes in appearance (and texture): small, round, and firm with a dense interior. Some ripe tomatillos turn yellow or purple, but most of the time they are a vibrant green.
Tomatillos are unlike any other fruit due to the thin, papery husk that develops around the fruit to protect it as it ripens. This resemblance is what gives them the appearance of a cape gooseberry, also called a ground cherry or husk cherry. Even when fully ripe, tomatillos lack the sugar content of tomatoes and ground cherries. Instead, they taste very similar to limes in that they are extremely sour and bright. Roasting reduces the acidity of tomatillos, revealing their subtle sweetness.
In what ways are tomatillos typically employed?
Tomatillos are a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine because they are native to Mexico and Central America. Consumed uncooked, the sour taste of a tomatillo is eye-opening. It's best to use them in tomatillo salsa, or to mix them with hot peppers to make salsa verde. As an alternative to lemon juice, they can be finely chopped and used in salads or as a garnish for fatty meat dishes.
When heated, tomatillo takes on a more pleasant, almost sweet taste. For extra flavor and depth, we like to roast tomatillos in the oven, broil them, or throw them on the grill before using them in salsa. Pozole verde and chicken tomatillo soup are two examples of soups that utilize tomatillos.
Tomatillos, when chopped, are a great addition to rich meat dishes like casseroles and enchiladas, and they go particularly well with braised pork. Just halving them lengthwise and grilling them makes for a tasty topping for grilled chicken or fish. They also make a great salad dressing when simmered in water and blended with buttermilk and avocado.
Preparing Tomatillos
Put unopened tomatillo husks in a paper bag when you get home from the market. Produce kept in the refrigerator's crisper drawer can be kept fresh for up to three weeks.
To eat them, simply remove the paper husks by peeling them back with your fingers. The inside fruit may be waxy, so wash it with a soft brush and cold running water to remove any excess wax. Then you can either half them for roasting or grilling, or toss them whole into a blender for salsa.
Can You Get Sick From Eating Tomatillos?
Inconsistent evidence suggests that unripe tomatillos are toxic. We don't know if that's true, but we do know for sure that unripe tomatillos have a horrible flavor. They have an unimaginable level of sourness and bitterness.
To be safe, we'll always advise using only fully ripe tomatillos in your cooking. Select tomatillos that have paper lanterns that have been split open and are a dark green color. When ripe, certain types of tomatillos take on a yellowish or even purple hue.
The rest of the plant, including the leaves, stems, and flowers, is inedible, just like other nightshade vegetables. It's best to remove the husks from tomatillos before using them in recipes, as they are not edible.
Top Picks for Tomatillo Dishes








Date of First Publication: August 3, 2021

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