PlantFiles: Tomatillo, Husk Tomato, Miltomate, Tomate de Fresadilla
Physalis ixocarpa

When I grew them in San Diego, I had incredible success, but here in Santa Cruz, I have witnessed powdery mildew looking stuff on my three surviving plants. I prop'd them from traded seeds, so that may be why (pm), but we get our fair share of foggy days early in the growing season, and wet morn's in the summer. I only water at the base, but while on vacation, someone else watered, so...

Easy to grow, tart fruit essential in making authentic Mexican verde sauce. Plant reseeds readily, but the seedlings are easily pulled up.

I started my tomatillo plants indoors in mid May this year for the first time. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and it is now sept 28. My wife and I just harvested about 4 lbs of the fruit. Some were small others quite large which were bursting the husks. I think next year I will try and start them a little earlier. Oh, and the reason we harvested today is that the weather forecast is for snow tomorrow. If any northern gardeners need more info on the plants please feel free to email me at [e-mail:glassvisions@shaw.ca]

Good luck with the next season

I have planted tomatillos directly in the ground in central Ohio and have been able to harvest medium to small but tasty fruits. I have also seen volunteers come up the year after but they always seem to be smaller. I am actually trying to start them indoors this year (2003) to see if I get a better yield.

This vegetable should not be confused with ground cherry just because it is husked as a ground cherry is.

This is a vegetable which is a native of Mexico. Although it resembles a small green tomato, it is not that either.

This plant was traditionally grown in Mexico in the corn fields, along with beans and squash and corn.

Many people have allergic reactions to tomatoes, but this fruit does not have the same effects in general.

The flavor is unique and delicious, and can be eaten raw or cooked. It is very popular in salsas, sauces, and as an ingredient in green chile stew or other stew dishes. It has a nice, tart flavor.

While growing, it is green with a green, loose, sort of moist husk and as it matures, it begins to fill in the husk, eventually even cracking the husk. As it ripens it begins to turn a yellowish-green color. The husk begins to dry out. As it matures, it also becomes less tart, bordering on sweet, although I wouldn't call it necessarily "sweet".

Many times in the grocery stores and markets, when purchasing tomatillos, you will notice that people have pulled the husks off of many of the tomatillos. By doing this, they are checking to see that the tomatillo is ripe but not overripe or spoiled. The tomatillos are ripe when pale yellow-green, and have filled out the husk, but are edible and tasty while still green nd with a loose husk

There are at least four cultivars of tomatillos, and may be green, purple, or stippled green with purple.

I love to cook with these. They are delicious and addictive.

They grow and self-propagate easily, but love a warm climate. They produce quickly enough after planting to where they can be treated as an annual vegetable in cooler climates.

Directly translated from Spanish, the word tomatillo means little tomato.