Tomatillos: Help me use or preserve them!

I’ve been fortunate to have great results from our garden…all sorts of veggies I know how to use or preserve for later. Then, I have the tomatillos he wanted to plant…the four seedlings from the the nursery and the four volunteer plants my dearest insisted on keeping.

So, now I’m stuck with a bunch of them. I will make various salsas and green sauces, but that only helps in the short term.

I’ve read that you can freeze them (whole or halved) and I will try that. I don’t know how to can, so I’m reaching out to you for help.

Please post your favorite recipes and preservation techniques. I am going to learn how to can this month, so with luck that will also be an option.

Thanks!

This recipe for Roasted Tomatillo-Chipotle Sauce is amazing. I make it a few times a year and freeze it, and it’s great to put on tacos/chips/eggs/whatever.

We dried some earlier in the summer. Its really easy. You just cut them in half or in 1/4-1/2 inch slices, put them in a single layer on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and park them in a very low oven for 8-12 hours.

Canning tomatillo whole or as sauce or salsa is fairly easy and doesn’t require much special equipment. Because of the acidity you can use the boil method rather than a pressure canner so all you really need is a big pot of boiling water, jars, lids and rings. A good wide mouth funnel and a jar lifter are also good. If you have never canned anything before I recommend getting a book on it, it can be a fun and rewarding hobby for the weekend gardener.

Oregon co-op extension

Here is another co-op extension article on boil canning salsa, with recipes tested to have enough acidity and some basic canning directions.