What can I do with a giant pile of premature tomatilloes?
October 27, 2011 3:09 PM Subscribe
What can I do with small tomatilloes?
Thanks to some weird weather patterns this year, my two massive tomatillo plants just started fruiting in late September/October. It's first frost tonight so I brought in a big pile of tomatilloes - however, only a few of them have filled out the husk. Most are about the size of large marbles. Some are the size of small marbles.
I've read that tomatilloes are only ripe when they burst out of the husk, and variously that they're either too sweet, or too bitter, or maybe even toxic, when they're small. I was hoping to make salsa verde - is that still possible with premature tomatilloes? If not, is there some other use I can put them to?
Thanks to some weird weather patterns this year, my two massive tomatillo plants just started fruiting in late September/October. It's first frost tonight so I brought in a big pile of tomatilloes - however, only a few of them have filled out the husk. Most are about the size of large marbles. Some are the size of small marbles.
I've read that tomatilloes are only ripe when they burst out of the husk, and variously that they're either too sweet, or too bitter, or maybe even toxic, when they're small. I was hoping to make salsa verde - is that still possible with premature tomatilloes? If not, is there some other use I can put them to?
I use tomatillos, ripe and unripe, in my salsa. Also in fajitas, and this soup -
2 pounds beef shank, with bone
1 tablespoon lard or olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups beef broth
4 cups water
2 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 potato, quartered (optional)
2 ears corn, husked and cut into thirds
2 chayotes, quartered (optional)
1 medium head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
5 -6 tomatillos.
Directions
Cut the meat from the beef bones into about 1/2 inch pieces, leaving some on the bones.
Heat a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the oil then the meat and bones and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until thoroughly browned.
Add 1 onion, and cook until onion is also lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes and broth. The liquid should cover the bones by 1/2 inch. If not, add enough water to compensate. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour with the lid on loosely. If meat is not tender, continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so.
Pour in the water, and return to a simmer. Add the carrot and cilantro, and cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the potato, corn and chayote. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add the cabbage wedges & tomatillos into the soup, and cook for about 10 more minutes.
Ladle soup into large bowls, including meat vegetables and bones. Serve with rice and lemon or lime wedges to squeeze into the soup.
posted by saffronwoman at 6:11 PM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
2 pounds beef shank, with bone
1 tablespoon lard or olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 cups beef broth
4 cups water
2 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 potato, quartered (optional)
2 ears corn, husked and cut into thirds
2 chayotes, quartered (optional)
1 medium head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
5 -6 tomatillos.
Directions
Cut the meat from the beef bones into about 1/2 inch pieces, leaving some on the bones.
Heat a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the oil then the meat and bones and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir until thoroughly browned.
Add 1 onion, and cook until onion is also lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes and broth. The liquid should cover the bones by 1/2 inch. If not, add enough water to compensate. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour with the lid on loosely. If meat is not tender, continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so.
Pour in the water, and return to a simmer. Add the carrot and cilantro, and cook for 10 minutes, then stir in the potato, corn and chayote. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add the cabbage wedges & tomatillos into the soup, and cook for about 10 more minutes.
Ladle soup into large bowls, including meat vegetables and bones. Serve with rice and lemon or lime wedges to squeeze into the soup.
posted by saffronwoman at 6:11 PM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
You can make the best salsa I've ever had:
Tomatillo Salsa
6 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and boiled to just tender
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
6 sprigs cilantro, chopped,
or 1/2 c cilantro leaves, packed
1/2 small white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 Tbs lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
If using fresh tomatillos, boil in salted water to cover until JUST tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain. For canned ones, just drain them.
Blend everything in a blender or processor until coarsely pureed. Add salt to taste, and let stand 30 minutes before using.
posted by IAmBroom at 7:18 PM on October 27, 2011
Tomatillo Salsa
6 tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and boiled to just tender
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
6 sprigs cilantro, chopped,
or 1/2 c cilantro leaves, packed
1/2 small white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 Tbs lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
If using fresh tomatillos, boil in salted water to cover until JUST tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain. For canned ones, just drain them.
Blend everything in a blender or processor until coarsely pureed. Add salt to taste, and let stand 30 minutes before using.
posted by IAmBroom at 7:18 PM on October 27, 2011
Best answer: I made this no-sugar relish with green tomatoes and tomatilloes, and it was yummy. I also just threw a mess of tiny tiny tomatilloes into a roasting dish, baked them a longish time, and made a standard basic enchilada sauce; their tinyness made no difference.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:20 PM on October 27, 2011
posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:20 PM on October 27, 2011
Step 1: roast or broil, drizzled with olive oil
Step 2: Add to your favourite guacamole recipe
Step 3: GUACAMOLE MAGIC
posted by AV at 7:27 PM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Step 2: Add to your favourite guacamole recipe
Step 3: GUACAMOLE MAGIC
posted by AV at 7:27 PM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]
Green enchiladas! Make a sauce with some onions, the tomatillos, some chicken broth, cilantro, etc..
Take a bunch of corn tortillas and dip them one by one in hot oil until soft.
Fill with shredded cooked chicken. Put in a casserole. Cover with the tomatillo sauce and bake.
Serve with sour cream and paprika on top.
Enjoy!
posted by skbw at 8:44 PM on October 27, 2011
Take a bunch of corn tortillas and dip them one by one in hot oil until soft.
Fill with shredded cooked chicken. Put in a casserole. Cover with the tomatillo sauce and bake.
Serve with sour cream and paprika on top.
Enjoy!
posted by skbw at 8:44 PM on October 27, 2011
Unwrap and remove cores. Cook tomatillos in hot water about 10 minutes after it reaches a boil (or when they're softened a fair bit.) Pour though strainer to keep tomatilloes; discard water. Put tomatilloes in blender with two chunks of garlic and purée. Add salt and anything else to taste, and you've got easy tomatillo sauce.
posted by azpenguin at 11:01 PM on October 27, 2011
posted by azpenguin at 11:01 PM on October 27, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for the recipes everyone - my question isn't so much "What can I do with tomatilloes", but "Will the tiny premature tomatilloes I was able to harvest kill me or be otherwise inedible or unusable?".
I assume from the lack of response to the original question that there aren't any known issues with using tomatilloes on the small side?
posted by Gortuk at 5:20 AM on October 28, 2011
I assume from the lack of response to the original question that there aren't any known issues with using tomatilloes on the small side?
posted by Gortuk at 5:20 AM on October 28, 2011
I did make my recipes with premature tomatilloes, and it made no real difference. Sorry if it wasn't clear.
posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:38 AM on October 28, 2011
posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:38 AM on October 28, 2011
Response by poster: Sorry a robot made out of meat, I guess I'm the one not reading closely enough. I guess I'll go ahead and do some cooking today!
posted by Gortuk at 8:03 AM on October 28, 2011
posted by Gortuk at 8:03 AM on October 28, 2011
Gortuk, are they supposed to be toxic?!! Some plants are like that, a certain part or what have you, but I had never heard of it re: tomatillos. Do advise and bon appétit.
posted by skbw at 11:33 AM on October 29, 2011
posted by skbw at 11:33 AM on October 29, 2011
Response by poster: skbw - I found one page on the Internet that suggested they may be toxic (although it was in the context of dogs, and a lot of stuff turns out to be toxic for dogs). I also read that they were either too bitter, or too sweet, thus turning here to see if anyone had prior experience. Seems that at least a few other people have cooked with tiny tomatilloes and lived to post here so I'm assuming it's a non-issue.
posted by Gortuk at 12:48 PM on October 30, 2011
posted by Gortuk at 12:48 PM on October 30, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
You could also do an English style green tomato chutney, substituting tomatillos for tomatoes. (I made a ton of this last year when blight got my beautiful heirloom tomatoes.)
1kg marrows or overgrown courgettes [zucchini] diced
1kg tomatillos or green tomatoes peeled and diced
500g cooking apples
500g onions diced
500g sultanas [golden raisins]
500g light soft brown sugar
600ml white wine vinegar
2 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
pinch of salt
for the spice bag:
square of muslin
25g ginger
12 cloves
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
Put all spice bag ingredients into muslin square, tie, and put in large, heavy saucepan. Put remaining ingredients into pan and simmer verrrry gently for until chutney parts to reveal base of pan when you drag a wooden spoon through it, about 2 hours. It should look thick, rich, and satiny. Put in sterilised jars while warm.
Enjoy with a sharp cheddar, on a chicken sammich, or with cold meats.
posted by Specklet at 3:57 PM on October 27, 2011 [1 favorite]