If you’re just getting started with growing tomatillos, you may be wondering when to harvest them. This is an important question because you need to harvest your tomatillos at the right time in order to get the best taste and texture.
When To Harvest Tomatillos
Tomatillos are harvested when they are ripe. They turn yellowish green when ripe and their papery husks will split open on the vine.
If you’re growing tomatillos outside in your garden, harvest them when they reach about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) long and are still bright green. If they don’t taste sweet yet, leave them on the vine and keep checking back every few days until they are ready for picking.
Harvesting tomatillos too early may result in a tart flavor or an unripe fruit that doesn’t have much flavor at all; however, if you wait too long before harvesting them, the fruit will become tough and sour tasting.
When Is The Best Month To Harvest Tomatillos?
If you’re growing them indoors, it doesn’t matter what time of the month it is, you can harvest them anytime.
On the other hand, if you’re growing tomatillos outdoors such as in your garden, it’s best to harvest them during the summer. Here are some tips on when to harvest tomatillos in July and August:
July: If you live in a warm climate where temperatures are consistently above 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius), then harvesting should occur between late June and early August. If your area experiences cooler weather during this period (50-60 F), wait until mid-July before harvesting. Tomatillos grow best when temperatures stay above 55 F but below 80 F during their flowering season (roughly two weeks).
August: In late summer months like this one as well as those leading up through autumnal equinoxes (September 22nd), harvest whenever they’re ready—that could be anywhere between early July through late September depending on where you live! Harvesting too early will result in smaller fruits due to premature ripening before their prime; wait until they reach full size before picking them off their vines!
Can You Harvest Tomatillos Too Early?
If you harvest tomatillos too early, you could be doing them a disservice. The fruit may not develop properly and will produce fewer fruits. Wait until the fruit turns yellow before picking it from the plant.
If you’re wondering if your tomatillo is ready to pick yet, take a closer look at its color. The skin should be dark green with hints of yellow toward its bottom side—this indicates ripeness!
How to Harvest Tomatillos
Once the tomatillos are ripe, you’re ready to harvest them. Harvesting tomatillos is easy once you know how to do it.
Method 1: Harvesting Tomatillos From the Vine
The easiest method for harvesting tomatillos is to simply pick them off the vine as needed. You can leave them on the vine until you need them or harvest them all at once. If you prefer not to have your plants bare, you can cut off just one side of the plant at a time, leaving the rest of your plants intact until you need them all at once.
Method 2: Pruning Off The Top Of The Plant
If you want more control over when and how many tomatillos you harvest from each plant, pruning off the top of each plant will allow for more consistent harvesting throughout the season. When choosing this method, make sure that there are at least five nodes left on each stem before pruning it off so that new branches will grow back quickly (and so there will be plenty of food left for pollinators).
Storing Tomatillos After Harvesting
After harvesting, you can store tomatillos in the refrigerator or on the counter. If you’re using them within a week or two, simply placing them in a plastic bag will do.
For longer-term storage, wrap them in newspaper and place them in a plastic container that is partially filled with fresh damp sand (don’t use dry soil). Store this container on your kitchen counter; it will keep for several weeks this way. The sand helps regulate humidity levels so that your tomatillos are neither too wet nor too dry.
Another storage option is to freeze tomatillos. Simply wash off any dirt or other debris from the fruit and cut off stems if they’re still attached. Put into freezer bags or containers—fill each bag only halfway so as not to crush the fruit.
Then freeze immediately until frozen solid before sealing tightly shut and storing back in the freezer.
Conclusion
So, to sum up, you can harvest your tomatillos when they are green. The best time is early in the morning when the flowers have just opened and the sun is still low in the sky.
