Cathy's Food Service Marketing

The Tomatillo

Have you tried these yet?  Possibly you have and did not know it.

This fruit is a relative of the tomato but with a tart citrus/lemon flavor when green and a slight sweet flavor if more ripened to a red/purple color.  They have been used in foods since the times of the Aztecs.

Adds a wonderful taste to sauces, salsas, green sauces, chopped for tacos or added to soups and stew. Provides a spicy addition. Slice or chop and try some today.  It can be eaten raw or cooked.  Once ripe (red/purple) it is used in jams and preservatives.

Picking your tomatillos, look for a firm but not rock hard feeling.  The husk should be intact but when pulled back a little it should be free of blemishes.

The husk although decorative must be removed to eat.  You will find that the outer skin once the husk is removed is sticky from sap and must be washed away.

You can store the tomatillo in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in a paper bag – the crisper drawer would work well at a temperature of around 35-40 degrees.  Once the husk has been removed you can store whole, sliced or diced in a plastic bag for a week or more. The inside is gelatinous so when cooked becomes a liquid.

https://www.whiteswarehouse.net/product-category/refrigerator

You can also freeze prepared tomatillos.  Remove the husk and clean – pat dry with a paper towel and place on a cookie sheet to start the freezing process.  Once almost frozen you can place in a plastic sealed bag. They will last six months to a year.  You can follow this process for sliced or diced also.  Once thawed they are a little soft but great for cooking purposes.  Always make sure your freezer is set at 0 degrees.

You can also puree tomatillos and use in salsas, smoothies or freeze in ice cube trays for future use. For freezer space, once frozen store the tomatillo ice cubes in sealed plastic bags.

Try canning tomatillos by cooking in a pressure cooker for relish or preserves/jams.

Some links to Tomatillo recipes - enjoy

http://allrecipes.com/recipes/1096/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables/tomatillos/

http://whatscookingamerica.net/tomatillos.htm