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Post by johnrf on Jul 27, 2015 12:12:39 GMT -5
Very easy to start from seed. Actually once you've grown them they'll start themselves. I grow them next to the garden fence. They aren't heavy and they are pretty easy to control. I think you want to keep them off the ground. They are ready when the "bag" they grow inside is almost full. Any bigger and they're not as good. Some are bigger than others so go by how full the outer bag is. I've never had a problem with diseases or pests.
I've found that you can freeze them whole, cook them in boiling water for a few minutes and then blend and freeze. But what I mostly like to do is roast them in a dry cast iron frying pan with some tomatoes, onions, chiles (serrano and jalapeño) over high heat and when everything is a little blackened drop them in the blender with some cilantro and maybe some lime juice. Enchilada Sauce for immediate use or freezing.
I picked up a pineapple tomatillo plant this year. Anyone have any experience with them? Not sure what to do with them. Maybe I should just add a few to my normal recipe, hints of pineapple might be good in enchiladas.
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Post by desertwoman on Jul 27, 2015 12:20:31 GMT -5
john- thanks for all these tips. I especially like the cast iron one. And I'll remember the "bag almost full" tip.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 27, 2015 12:51:39 GMT -5
The pineapple tomatillo is good in Thai curries.
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Post by tbird on Jul 27, 2015 15:36:57 GMT -5
The pineapple tomatillo is good in Thai curries. do you chop it up, or quarter it?
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Jul 27, 2015 16:05:55 GMT -5
I never heard of them before this year....if I did I never paid much attention to it because I hadn't ever seen them in the grocery store. But I went to the Farmes' Market yesterday I saw them . So now I am in interested but how does one start with regard what they like? Do they get green? Red? Was there an outside layer to it? I picked up one and there was a skin(?) on it. Do they taste like tomatoes? Besides salsa what else do ya do with them?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 28, 2015 0:06:38 GMT -5
The pineapple tomatillo is good in Thai curries. do you chop it up, or quarter it? I quartered them, as they were fairly small. I never heard of them before this year....if I did I never paid much attention to it because I hadn't ever seen them in the grocery store. But I went to the Farmes' Market yesterday I saw them . So now I am in interested but how does one start with regard what they like? Do they get green? Red? Was there an outside layer to it? I picked up one and there was a skin(?) on it. Do they taste like tomatoes? Besides salsa what else do ya do with them? They don't get red at all - more of a yellowish color when ripened (this is why they should be picked green, or as soon as you see a hint of brown forming on that husk, though I'm sure there's something somewhere they use ripe ones for). The green ones have a sort of sour taste, nothing at all like tomatoes, but this is what they are used for. Often a bit of sugar is added to the salsas to balance the flavor. Though not traditional, I often use them in Indian and Thai foods, for that sour flavor. But usually it is Mexican they go into in my kitchen. And usually you can't really tell the tomatillos are in it, as the dark chiles make it look like any other dark salsa. I've had them in guacamole, but they weren't as good as regular tomatoes, IMO.
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Post by James on Jul 28, 2015 1:43:20 GMT -5
Veggie Gal, in looking for recipes, it seems that salsa is the big thing for these fruits. Though there were several references to them being used for soups and salads, and in garnishes. Will have to try some things when they come on?
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Post by restless on Jul 28, 2015 5:31:57 GMT -5
It may not be traditional in Indian food, but the lady who taught me how to cook Indian food uses them a lot in sambar and other dals. Their sour/tart taste goes well in South Indian cooking. I can see tomatillos being really good in aachar/pickle.
I think they would be great in any recipe that could use a little brightness. They would probably be great in a minestrone type vegetable soup or a tortilla soup or a soup with black beans.
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Post by tbird on Jul 28, 2015 8:10:58 GMT -5
nothing yet on my tomatillos - but they are growing and getting lots of flowers... I was concerned about Danny, but he is putting out flowers enough that Arnold could be very productive. pepperhead212 - I'm assuming that the reason you say to use "not ripe" is because they get too sweet? I have only a purple variety, and found when hey were purple that the salsa was too sweet, so I harvest at least some of them green. My ytpe says 90 days - one of the longest! I'm hoping that is only for purple/ripe and that I'll have plenty of green ones for salsa before that.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 28, 2015 8:26:03 GMT -5
That sweetness was what I didn't like about the purples, and the reason to use all tomatillos when green. Rick Bayless had recipes in which he specified purples, but I didn't pay much attention to them, as it was years after I grew them.
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Post by desertwoman on Jul 28, 2015 10:09:51 GMT -5
Trying to understand tomatillos, as I have never grown them before this year
Dave, you are saying they are sweet when ripe, but you also mentioned sweetening the green ones to balance the flavor (sourness?) Are the ripe ones simply too sweet? Is the sourness preferable in a tomatillo flavor? Are ripe/sweet ones ever used or is the expected tomatillo taste on the sour side?
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Post by davidjp on Jul 28, 2015 14:33:23 GMT -5
A great tomatillo salsa recipe is the one from Rick bayless for smoked tomatillo salsa. Dry roast tomatillos, usually about 5 cut in half with a few garlic cloves. After they've been cooked thru place into a blender with one,or two chipotle peppers on adobo sauce and add about a third cup of water. Always found it to be simple and great smoked flavor.
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Post by James on Jul 29, 2015 13:14:00 GMT -5
I had a couple fruits that looked ready, at least the husk was full and popped open on the one. So I took them in and taste tested them. They had a bit of a sour taste, but that is about all I can say. Nothing I would be craving to eat again. They may be useful for the sour taste in salsa?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 29, 2015 19:10:18 GMT -5
I just made a batch of that tomatillo/morita salsa of Bayless's, or rather, two batches - one with dried and one with some fresh, which I grilled. I toasted the tomatillos (.75 oz =8 oz. fresh) in a dry skillet until they were somewhat browned, then soaked them in 7.2 oz. hot water, and used this for the 8 oz. tomatillos in the recipe. The salsas tasted almost identical; the one made with the dried was a little thinner, but I didn't take into account that the tomatillos lose some water when grilled. Next time I'll use less water to soak.
Now I have to make something to wrap in tortillas, and use all that salsa on!
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Post by tbird on Jul 29, 2015 20:44:13 GMT -5
Thanks for the update pepperhead212! I will have the dehydrator at the ready - if arnold delivers on the motherlode.... did you prep for dehydrating by halving or quartering or do them whole? I can't remember if you mentioned that.
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