Tomatillo (Physalis ixocarpa)

Product description

The tomatillo is an edible fruit native to Mexico and Guatemala, where it grows in the drier highlands. The plant belongs to the same family as the tomato and potato, produces sweet fruit and is suitable for growing as an annual in the (vegetable) garden.

There is evidence that the berry was already cultivated by the Aztecs and Mayans, and even today the fruit remains an important part of Mexican cuisine. The fruits are mainly used in salsas, but can also be eaten fresh from the plant or, for example, incorporated into salads. The plant grows as a small shrub with woody stems and can reach a height of up to 1.5 metres. The small flowers are yellow-brown and, after pollination, the sepals develop into little lanterns. Inside these, the fruits develop, protected by the sepals, until the lanterns open and the fruits are revealed. The lantern itself is not edible, but the fruits can be harvested and eaten at various stages. Initially, they are green and not sweet, at which point they can be used to make the well-known green salsa. Please note, however, that unripe fruits are poisonous and that the difference between ripe and unripe at that stage is not always clear. Later, the fruits turn purple or yellow, at which point they are safe to eat and have a much sweeter flavour. These are also delicious for making a salsa!

The seeds can be sown indoors in the spring and moved outdoors a few weeks after the last frost. There, they can be placed in full sun and given a normal amount of water. This variety prefers slightly drier conditions rather than being too wet. In the autumn, the plant will die back outdoors, but can be overwintered indoors if desired.

Sowing description: Sow the seeds indoors in sowing mix during the spring. Keep the soil moist constantly and let the seeds germinate at room temperature.