Home canning whole tomatillos

Here we work through the USDA procedure for home canning whole, plain tomatillos.

Unlike for tomatoes, you do not peel tomatillos in this process.

See here for usage ideas.

Quantities of fresh tomatillos needed

Numbers are approximate guidelines. Results will always vary.

On average, as a very, very rough guideline, for fresh tomatillos expect to need about 1 kg per 1 litre jar  (about 2 lbs per US quart jar) .

• 6.5 kg (14 lbs) of fresh tomatillos = 7 litres (US quarts) of home-canned tomatillos
• 4 (9 lbs) of fresh tomatillos = 9 x ½ litres (US pints) of home-canned tomatillos
• 1 US bushel fresh tomatillos = 14.5 kg (32 lbs) = 14 to 16 litres (US quarts) of home-canned tomatillos

The recipe

Jar size choices: Either half-litre (1 US pint) OR 1 litre (1 US quart)

Processing method: Water bath or steam canning or pressure canning

Yield: varies

Headspace: 2 cm (½ inch)

Processing time: For water bath or steam canning the times are as follows. Half-litres (pints) 40 minutes; litres (quarts) 45 minutes

Steam canning

Steam-canning is a great option. Use water-bath processing times. But it cannot be used as an option if the processing time at your altitude would be over 45 minutes, owing to concern that some steam canner models would simply run out of water.

Pressure canning process

The USDA also offers a pressure canning process.

Guidelines below are for weighted-gauge. See also if desired: Dial-gauge times.

Jar size	Time	0 to 300 m (0 - 1000 feet) pressure	Above 300 m (1000 ft) pressure
½ litre or 1 litre (1 US pint or 1 US quart)	15 mins	5 lb	10 lb
½ litre or 1 litre (1 US pint or 1 US quart)	10 mins	10 lb	15 lb
½ litre or 1 litre (1 US pint or 1 US quart)	1 min	15 lbs	not recommended

Please note that using one of the acid ingredient options in the recipe is still mandatory for safety even when pressure canning because the pressure process was designed only to save time, not to be enough to make the product safe on its own without the added acidity.

Reference information

How to water bath process.

How to steam can.

When water-bath canning or steam canning, you must adjust the pressure for your altitude.

How to pressure can.

When pressure canning, you must adjust the pressure for your altitude.

Recipe notes

Lime juice of course is a traditional complement to the taste of tomatillos. However, it’s much more distinctive than lemon juice, so only use lime if you are sure you are going to want that taste in whatever you make with your tomatillos. But, do not skip the step of adding one of the acidifiers listed. Acidification is mandatory for safety.

The salt is completely optional. It’s there as a seasoning and adds nothing to safety. Instead of the salt, you can use a non-bitter, non-clouding salt sub. We have found Herbamare Sodium-Free performs well in that regard. OR for the most flexibility when you go to use your tomatillos, just omit!

Recipe source

Tomatillos. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Complete guide to home canning. Agriculture information bulletin No. 539. 2015. Page 3-13.

Modifications made:

• Added options to use salt and lime juice.

Using canned tomatillos

What can you do with the plain canned tomatillos?

These have essentially necessarily been cooked by the preserving process, so if you were going to use them for salsas, you’d use them in cooked rather than fresh salsas.

Martha Shulman from the New York Times food section gives some advice:

If you can find only canned tomatillos, an 11-ounce can be substituted for 1 pound of fresh tomatillos in this week’s recipes. The canned variety has already been simmered until softened, and all you have to do is drain them. Cooking by simmering or, preferably, broiling is the first step in all of my tomatillo recipes; skip this step if you’re working with canned.” ^[1]Shulman, Martha Rose. Cooking With a Mexican Favorite, the Tomatillo. New York: The New York Times. 13 September 2010. Accessed July 2017 at https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/health/nutrition/13recipehealth.html

The Joy of Cooking says,

Canned tomatillos can be served as a condiment with grilled meats and poultry, and are especially good with grilled fish and shellfish.” ^[2]Rombauer, Irma S. et al. Joy of Cooking: All about Canning and Preserving. Page 33.

You can use them in this hot sauce recipe: Jalapeno Hot Sauce.

The pH of tomatillos

Tomatillos are even more acidic generally than green tomatoes.

The USDA’s table of “Approximate pH of Foods and Food Products” assigns a pH value of 3.83 to tomatillos.  ^[3] USDA. Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Acidified and Low-Acid Canned Foods. April 2007. Accessed March 2015 at https://www.foodscience.caes.uga.edu/extension/documents/fdaapproximatephoffoodslacf-phs.pdf.

Nutrition

Per half-litre / US pint, no added salt: 163 calories