Tomatillo

Tomatillo (Husk tomato, Physalis philadelphica).

What are tomatillos used for? From Purdue's horticultural Web site:

"The tomatillo has been a constant component of the Mexican and Guatemalan diet up to the present day, chiefly in the form of sauces prepared with its fruit and ground chilies to improve the flavour of meals and stimulate the appetite. The tomatillo is also used in sauces with green chili, mainly to lessen its hot flavour. The fruit of the tomatillo is used cooked, or even raw, to prepare purees or minced meat dishes which are used as a base for chili sauces known generically as salsa verde (green sauce); they can be used to accompany prepared dishes or else be used as ingredients in various stews. An infusion of the husks (calyces) is added to tamale dough to improve its spongy consistency, as well as to that of fritters: it is also used to impart flavour to white rice and to tenderize red meats."

This tomatillo is one of what I call my "sidewalk plants". I grow a number of hot weather fruits and vegetables in bags right on the driveway. The added heat makes a huge difference in the growth of tomatoes, peppers, and melons. It also makes the neighbors wonder what the heck you are doing; I've met a lot of people from this conversation starter. If you do try the driveway method, be ready to water almost daily.

Care to offer more details on your driveway 'planters?' We had tomatillos at the old house; they did exceptionally well, to the point of taking over one end of the garden. Alas, we, so far, have no veggies planted at the new place.

There is nothing glamorous about my "Planters" on the driveway. They are merely plastic "grow bags" that I bought from http://www.groworganic.com. They look like garbage bags with flat bottoms and drainage holes. I'll post a picture sometime.

After some months of enjoying the delicious fresh green tomatillo salsa that my host family would make daily in Mexico, I decided to plant a couple plants back here in SW Iowa to facilitate my own salsa making. The size of my plants has been very nice the last two years, but the fruit isn't getting bigger. The husk usually gets to a normal size, but inside of the husk the fruit appears immature, even after it falls off of the plant. Our peppers and tomatoes both do phenomenal each year, but the tomatillos just aren't making it. Does anyone else have this problem, or have any ideas that might help?