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Tomatillo

This will be just my second year growing these guys. Last year's finished absolutely loaded even without a good start to their season. I have verde and amarylla sprouts already, but still need to plant a few Queen/Chupon de Malinalco.

I was aiming for 2-3 of each in 3 different locations so I can save seeds, but then read at seedsavers that 5 is the recommended minimum to ensure viable seeds so maybe I'll aim for at least 3 of each now and see how that does for saving seeds.
 
New this year we will try Chupon de Malinalco.


This was a very prolific & tasty fruit that made great Salsa.
Last year we grew :https://www.rareseeds.com/tomatillo-amarylla
 
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Hahaha... Let me tell you that they store well in the freezer. We don't have to store tomatillo anymore because it is always available now, but before we made 1kg packages and stored them to make salsa verde.
Thanks for the idea @ahayastani. I'll plan to do this with the bulk that I won't be able to use fresh. I had so much from the 3 plants at the community garden last year that I suspect I'll be overwhelmed at harvest with an increased grow this season. Being able to pick and freeze in batches will certainly help against loss and those bags will be nice to have at the ready.

Anything special you do with them before you freeze them? Do you process them at all first or just wash and seal?
 
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I have been roasting them on the bbq until a little charred. It brings out the sweetness in them. I then freeze them in plastic tubs for use in verde, pulled pork, etc... The roasting creates a sweet/tart syrup that they are frozen in.
 
I planted tomatillos 7 years ago in a small spot with some field fence to hold them up if needed. I have not had to replant since then. I have volunteer plants every year in the same spot. We have a decent climate here but nothing like the warmer areas they come from. I dont have any problem with them ripening before 1st frost. The variety I have starts to turn slightly yellow when ripe. Thats when the sweetness becomes more apparent.
 
Yep, you need more than one plant, but variety doesn't matter. This ARTICLE confirms this, based on their experiences on the farm, and the discussion about isolation distances to ensure seed purity.
Great article, thanks!
I planted tomatillos 7 years ago in a small spot with some field fence to hold them up if needed. I have not had to replant since then. I have volunteer plants every year in the same spot. We have a decent climate here but nothing like the warmer areas they come from. I dont have any problem with them ripening before 1st frost. The variety I have starts to turn slightly yellow when ripe. Thats when the sweetness becomes more apparent.
That's not the case over here unfortunately. I have to sow the seeds every year myself. So much hard work. 😉
 
I normally plant 6 to 9 tomatillo plants in a square or block like I do with corn. Although a square isn't needed, I just like the form. :) I interplant flowers all through the crops in my garden to make sure I attract lots of pollinators like bees.

Did you notice empty husks? It could be that there were not enough pollinators around? Or that the plants weren't close enough to each other? I think two should do the trick as well, but I'm not sure.
 
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