Please take a look at my tomatillos. They popped up from a previous gardener. That was lucky! How do I know when they are ripe?
by CantaloupeAway5758
Please take a look at my tomatillos. They popped up from a previous gardener. That was lucky! How do I know when they are ripe?
by CantaloupeAway5758
9 Comments
Oh following because I want to plant these next year
You can eat them when the husk splits open.
When the balloon is filled up and almost bursting
So, I grow tomatillos every year.
There are two ways to know when they’re ready.
Typically the fruit will get large enough and start bursting out of the husk.
BUT that being said, I have had plants that will produce really large husk and never have the fruit start outgrow it, those plants I will wait until the husk starts to yellow. I’m not sure what causes the variation in the plants… The seeds are always from the same seed provider.
Not until the vines have fully enveloped your house on all sides.
That’s my experience at least.
Tangential but really enjoyed my purple tomatillos! Easier to tell when they’re ripe because they turn purple! Mine would also out grow the husks before they were ripe oddly enough.
When the sack is full
I had volunteer tomatillo plants for the first time from my compost this year and noticed I had two, possibly three varieties. The ones that matured yellow, which are sweet, the lighter green ones and a third (possibly purple variety) that died too soon for me to tell. I tended to harvest while still green to make tart salsa. I would look at the colour of the fruit, or bursting of the husk or yellowing of it, but then when you harvest each will affect the flavour. I prefer tart for salsa, so went for green, mostly. Hope this is useful and happy tomatillo harvesting!
As another commenter mentioned, purple tomatillo will be easy to tell, and will making understanding the green ones easier.