Purple Tomatillo – 10 Seeds

Purple Tomatillo Seeds. Purple Tomatillo, botanically named Physalis ixocarpa, is a member of the Solanaceae family alongside the tomato. It is in the genus Physalis, along with the cape gooseberry. The tomatillo is known by many names, including jamberry, husk cherry, or husk tomato, Husk Tomato or Mexican Tomato. Tomatillos are heirlooms, and saved seed can be grown year after year to produce the same fruit as the parent.

Purple tomatillos are uniquely beautiful and rare to find. They’re small and round like a golf ball, with an average diameter of one or two inches at maturity. Like all tomatillos, the Purple tomatillo is encased in a papery husk, which turns from green to brown and splits open as the fruit matures. The fruit itself starts out pale green and ripens to a deep violet color. That rich purple skin coloring bleeds into its bright green interior flesh.

Purple tomatillos have a tangy-sweet taste, much sweeter than their green counterparts, with citrus-like hints and sub-acid flavors of plum and pear. The semi-determinate, heavily branched plants have dark green leaves with striking purple veins, grow to an average of just three feet, and produce high yields of this exceptional fruit.

Purple Tomatillo Culinary Uses

• They can be stewed, fire roasted, grilled, broiled, blanched, puréed, chopped fresh and utilized as an ingredient in applications both hot and cold.
• Tomatillos can heighten the flavor of pork, chicken and seafood.
• As Purple tomatoes deliver more sweetness, they can also be utilized to make marmalades, jams and preserves.

Growing Purple Tomatillo

Indoor Sowing: Late Winter.

Direct Sowing: Spring and Early Summer.

• Start Tomatillo seeds indoors six to eight weeks before your last frost date or direct sow in Spring and Early Summer.
• Use small pots filled with a good potting mix.
• Sow the seeds on the surface of the soil and cover with a layer of soil.
• Keep the soil moist until germination.
• Optimal germination temperature of between 21-27°C.
• Germination in about 14 days.
• Because tomatillos are not self-pollinating, they must be planted in groups of at least two to ensure fruiting.