Tomatillos are small round fruits that come in green color. These are a type of tomatoes and fall under the nightshade family. You should note that tomatillos are native to Mexico and Central America. Other than this, the plants have medicinal properties that make them amazing. There are tons of uses for tomatillos, but people will mostly notice them being used when making Mexican cuisine. When it comes to this, you can make dishes like salsa, sauces, or similar stuff.
When using the vegetable as an ingredient, people often point out that it tastes better when grown in their gardens. This is why you will notice tons of users planting tomatillos and taking care of them. While this can be great, there are also some issues that you can run into when planting these. A common question that you will notice people asking is “When are tomatillos ready to pick?”. Hence, we will be using this article to provide you with an answer that can help you in understanding when your vegetables are ripe.
When Are Tomatillos Ready To Pick?
When growing fruits like tomatillos, it is important to note that these grow best under certain weather conditions. Talking about this, the following fruit usually prefers a warmer temperature as it helps the fruits in ripening. The bloom time usually ranges from midsummer to fall but this can slightly increase depending on your area. If you want to harvest the plant, then the first thing that you need to ensure is that you do it during the daytime.
This helps in better observing the conditions of the fruit so that you can pick it in its best condition. The husk on its outside has a papery texture that indicates that it is now ready to be harvested. The insides of the fruit eventually grow out and fill up the husky layer on the outside. With time you will notice that the insides fill up so much that the exterior starts to split up. This is the best time to harvest your plant as it should be in its best condition.
Taking it off will ensure that you get the juiciest fruits that can be used on the spot. Though, if people are thinking about using them at a later time, then some additional steps should be kept in mind. The fruits have to be stored in a spot where the temperature is cool, and the location is quite dry. This helps tomatillos in lasting a much longer time. However, if you want to use them even after the season is over then keeping the fruits frozen is your only option.
Depending on how you want to use the fruit, people can easily select between the options provided above. With that being said, one common issue that you will notice people complaining about is that the fruits are not juice after taking them off. When it comes to this, the main reason for the problem can be how you kept the fruits maintained. This is why you must keep them in check at all times. Ensuring that you take proper care of the fruit will help it in staying healthy and ripe when harvesting.
The spot where you plant the tomatillos also plays a huge role in its development. The fruit should get 6 to 8 hours of sunlight every day to spread easily and bloom without any issues. Lower light than this can cause issues with the plant which is why additional steps should be taken. The soil that you have your plant in should be full of nutrients. This can be done by adding fertilizers to the ground every month. People can also keep the plant watered but the amount of liquid used plays a huge role in how healthy the fruits will be.
This is because tomatillos usually only require you to keep the soil around them moist. If done properly, then the plant should grow bearing new fruits throughout the season. Though, if you water the plant too much then the excess liquid will start killing the plants. People who cannot keep a check over the soil should make small passages inside it. This helps the excess water is escaping through the small tunnels, keeping your tomatillos protected as a result.