Few things beat the smell of tomatillos roasting over flames. They are space hogs, if you have a corner they can take over let 'em run.

Some dishes are better with tomatillo based salsas, chilaquiles for example, some types of tamales, flautas, etc.

[I]Lengua en salsa verde[/I] is a dish you can use to win over even to most recalcitrant in-laws.

I really like tomatillos, although I buy mine.

Just a quick note to clarify. Tomatillos are ripe when they fill their papery husk.
Like the pic of the purple ones above. Firm
when ripe. If soft like a tomato, they are close to rotting. Soft is not good....over-ripe.
Bitter when fresh, but diced and given some heat in a pan they soften.

So many ways to love them. I would be disappointed if i did not get at least a 5 gal
bucket full in September. I can always buy them if i have a failure season. Inexpensive
and always available. (in NY because of such a diverse population)

Good tomatoes on the other hand, cannot be bought year round in any grocery. Nada.
If you have limited garden space and only room for 6 tomato plants...not sure if i would
give up a spot for a tomatillo plant. Especially if you've never tried them.

I grow over a hundred tomato plants and have lots of room.

I'm growing a little purple variety this year, Tiny from Coban from Baker Creek. I'm prepared for the plants to get about the size of my ground cherry plants from last year (which were big and spread a lot but were not as tall as an indeterminate tomato plant). If they're larger than that, then things are going to be crowded!

I love tomatillos but chose a type I'd never tasted before. The more common green types are available to buy, but the purple ones are still hard to come by.

I threw all 5 of the purple tomatillo seeds (swap seeds) into a pot and kept it watered...only one caught. I did the same with big beef seeds at the same time and only 3/10 sprouted. So, I guess that was not a great way to start seeds, even in nice June warmth.

No problem, I just want to see what they are, I figured, and put that tomatillo in the ground a couple weeks back. It took right off.

Now, I just read that two tomatillo plants are needed for pollination... Question, is that true here in the US or is that only for Mexico?

If true this info should be added to that Basic info sticky.

[QUOTE=JRinPA;656266]Now, I just read that two tomatillo plants are needed for pollination... Question, is that true here in the US or is that only for Mexico?[/QUOTE]

Geography doesn't change basic genetic traits. Tomatillos are not self-fertile and require at least two plants as well as insect pollinators (not a problem--bumblebees and sweat bees LOVE tomatillo flowers). Perhaps there have been varieties bred more recently that don't require that? But if so, I'm unaware of them.

I like tomatilloes when they are about to fall off the plant or the husk is brown and no they are not rotten.
I have made some of the best salsa from them this way with hot peppers added.

[QUOTE=JRinPA;656266]I threw all 5 of the purple tomatillo seeds (swap seeds) into a pot and kept it watered...only one caught. I did the same with big beef seeds at the same time and only 3/10 sprouted. So, I guess that was not a great way to start seeds, even in nice June warmth.

No problem, I just want to see what they are, I figured, and put that tomatillo in the ground a couple weeks back. It took right off.

Now, I just read that two tomatillo plants are needed for pollination... Question, is that true here in the US or is that only for Mexico?

If true this info should be added to that Basic info sticky.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=22347[/url]

Made a Chimmichurra (sp?) sauce last night from a couple last night and it was AWESOME!!! First time and I was surprised with that little bit of tangy-ness. The little bit of slime didn't bother me one bit.

Greg

I knew I should have put an emoticon after that quip.

Even if multiple seeds had come up I was only planning to put one in the ground since everyone says they run wild. Seems my tomatillo impulse was doomed from the start.

It seems a lot of people have this issue the first time. There was a fellow a few years back that posted his address on a forum, desperately trying to get someone to send him some pollen so he could fertilize his lonely plant.

[QUOTE=JRinPA;656420]There was a fellow a few years back that posted his address on a forum, desperately trying to get someone to send him some pollen so he could fertilize his lonely plant.[/QUOTE]

:))

You never know--you may have someone nearby growing a plant somewhere and get some surprise fruit.