Tomatillos are a cousin to tomatoes, as you can tell by its name. The major differences are their color and husk. Tomatillos are typically bright green, yellow or purple, with an exterior covered in a paper-thin husk. Another difference is how to store tomatillos, which tend to be trickier than regular tomatoes.
Fresh tomatillos in a pile
Many people pass by tomatillos in the store, but they truly are a versatile vegetable. Tomatillos are used in a range of Mexican dishes and create amazing green salsa. They also are nutritious, containing large quantities of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Since you might not use them quickly, you have to learn how to store tomatillos long term.
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Things You Will Need to Store Tomatillos
Purple tomatillos on cutting board
Refrigerator or Freezer
Two obvious items that you need to store tomatillos is a refrigerator or freezer. If you don’t have them, you should only harvest when you are ready to use them.
Warm Bowl of Water
You need a bowl of warm water to help remove the husks before putting them into the freezer. Don’t forget to dry them off with a nice kitchen towel!
Paper Bags
If you are refrigerating the tomatillos with the husks on in the refrigerator, you want to have paper bags. They collect the moisture, so the fruit doesn’t go bad.
Plastic Bags
If you are storing them without the husks, a plastic bag is the better choice. You can also use plastic bags to store tomatillos in the freezer.
More information: How Long Does Celery Last
Steps for Storing Tomatillos
Tomatillo hanging in the garden
1
Harvesting
If you are growing tomatillos at home, you should remove them from the branch once the fruit starts to expand out of the husk. This sign means it is ripe. Husks grow first, and the tomatillos gradually fill in the husk. Check the bottom of the husk to see if it is opening due to the size.
2
Determine When You Will Use Them
Your next step is to determine when you want to use the tomatillos, so you know how to store fresh tomatillos. If you plan to use them in the next few days, you can easily store them in a dry, cool place, such as your countertops. Only do this if you know you plan to use them for a recipe in the very near future.
3
Long Term Storage
If you are wondering do tomatillos need to be refrigerated, the answer is yes. When you know, you won’t use them anytime soon, freezing or refrigerating them are the best two choices. They are similar to veggies like radishes and celery which cannot last long without cool temperatures.
4
Storing in the Refrigerator
Learning how to store tomatillos in the refrigerator is easy! Most people opt to store tomatillos with husks by using a paper bag. Why do you want to use a paper bag? The purpose of the bag is to absorb any extra moisture within the husk. However, if you already removed the husks from the tomatillos, you can store them in a plastic bag instead. Your refrigerator temperatures must be between 35 and 40 degrees!
5
Storing in the Refrigerator
If you want to freeze tomatillos for much later use, you have to remove the husks by hand before doing so. Once the husks are removed, you should put them.
Husks removed from yellow tomatillos
You can store tomatillos with the husks on, but you have to remove them if you plan to freeze them. Removing the husks from tomatillos can be difficult. The best way to do it is to use a bowl of warm water and soak the husks in the water for a short period.
The warm water helps to soften up the husks. Then, you can move it away from the fruit and peel it by hand. You do need to make sure you dry off the tomatillos totally before storage!
Are My Tomatillos Bad?
Fresh tomatillos together
Luckily, tomatillos do store very well for long term. More than likely, they don’t go bad before you can use them. If you want to know how to tell if tomatillos are bad, the best thing to do is feel the texture. Old tomatillos have a spongy texture rather than a firm one.
The color is not an indicator of readiness. Bad tomatillos will have a strange smell if you cut them open. Also, they develop mold quickly once past the prime eating season. If you follow the recommendations for how to preserve tomatillos, you should be fine!
Conclusion
Once you figure out how to store tomatillos, you realize it is straightforward and easy! You have a variety of choices. Tomatillos can sit at room temperature for a short period. You can also keep them in the refrigerator or freezer. Some people like to can tomatillo salsa for long term storage. The options are endless.
There are some important steps not to forget. You want to make sure that you harvest the tomatillos when they are ripe. Then, determine when you will use them so that you can pick the right way to store them. If you opt to freeze the tomatillos, don’t forget to take off those pesky husks. You’ll have a freezer full before too long!
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