What is a tomatillo? Is there a substitute? (2024)

FAQs

What is a tomatillo? Is there a substitute? ›

Green tomatoes can take the place of tomatillos in a variety of recipes from breads to soups and sauces. Most of the vegetable gardeners I know have their hands full of green tomatoes right now.

For a tomatillo substitute, buy underripe tomatoes and add a squeeze of lime juice. You will often see tomatillos in Mexican dishes like salsas, tacos, soups, and enchiladas. This swap might work well in a recipe like Slow Cooker Chicken Verde, Ceviche Verde, White Chili with Avocado Cream or Baja Fish Tacos.

Contrary to its name, a tomatillo is not a little green tomato. Though the two plants are distantly related, they are not the same thing — substitution is not recommended. One of the main differences? Unlike tomatoes, tomatillos are covered in a papery husk that must be peeled away before use.

Green tomatoes and tomatillos are different in ripeness and usages as well, so it's not always okay to substitute one for the other. Tomatillos also tend to be juicier and not as firm as green tomatoes, so they are quite different in texture.

Even though tomatillo means "little tomato" in Spanish, the fruit actually comes from a different plant and is tarter, more vegetal-tasting, and more acidic than most tomatoes.

Like their close relative, the Cape gooseberry, tomatillos have a high pectin content. Another characteristic is that they tend to have a varying degree of a sappy, sticky coating, mostly when used on the green side out of the husk. Ripe tomatillos keep refrigerated for about two weeks.

Tomatillos, sometimes called husk tomatoes, look like green, unripe tomatoes with a dry, leafy husk that wraps around the outside. The color of the fruit is a beautiful bright green, which fades a bit once you cook them—but hey, some of us just peak early, right?

Green tomatoes are the other main ingredient for this salsa as they have a similar tartness to the tomatillo and benefit from roasting. There are also varieties of tomatoes that are meant to be green even when ripe, like the Green Zebra Tomato. You can see below, they get a bit of a yellow hue once they start to ripen.

Tomatillos taste tangy, slightly tart and citrusy, with a hint of sweetness. “Their taste can vary depending on their ripeness,” Salinari says. “As they ripen, they become sweeter and less tangy.

When it comes to finding alternatives for tomatillos, green bell peppers are a popular choice. These vibrant vegetables are not only visually appealing but also offer a unique taste and texture that can elevate your dishes. Whether you're making salsa, sauce, or soup, green bell peppers can be a fantastic substitute.

Why do you need two tomatillos? ›

You will need two or more tomatillo plants for the blooms to be pollinated and fruit to be produced. Plan for each plant to produce about a pound of fruit over the season. However, most recipes call for ½ pound to make a sauce, so plan to grow a minimum of 2 to 3 plants to have enough fruit ready to eat at one time.

You can eat tomatillos raw or cooked -- I prefer cooking them to tone down their distinctly sour flavor. The tomatillos you find at the supermarket are mostly imported from Mexico. You may be able find some at your local farmers' market from late July through September.

Tomatillos go by many names, including Mexican green tomatoes (or tomate verde in Spanish), husk tomatoes and jamberries. (The word tomatillo means “l*ttle tomato.”) Miltomatl is the original Nahuatl (Aztec) word for tomatillo — and according to Kennedy, is still used in Oaxaca to describe the fruit.

Salsa verde in Mexico is a green salsa, which could be tomatillo or avocado based. However, salsas are typically referred to by ingredient, not color.

Compared to tomatoes, Tomatillos are higher in total sugars and dietary fiber and citric acid, but similar in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) content. Because of the higher citric acid content, the flavor of tomatillos is brighter and crisper than tomatoes.

Tomatillos and husk cherries both belong to the nightshade family, and although they look very similar, they taste very different. Both fruits grow like paper lanterns, enclosed in an inedible husk. Tomatillos are medium sized with a tart green fruit, while ground cherries have a small sweet orange fruit.