What is the difference between a tomatillo and a green tomato

Tomatillo and unripe tomato look alike. They are green colored, filled with many seeds and fleshy. However, tomato changes color to red, yellow, orange, purple, black or in the case of green tomato variety - it remains green when it starts to ripen, while tomatillo retains green color. There are some varieties of tomatillo that produce purple, red or yellow fruit. Tomato can be roundish, oblong, kidney-shaped or elongated, while tomatillo produces sphere-shaped fruit.

Tomato can be small cherry tomato or very large beefsteak tomato can reach 0. Tomatillo is usually small or medium in size. It has sticky skin on the surface and papery husk which splits when tomatillo becomes ripe hence the nickname "husk tomato".

Both tomatillo and tomato contain few calories and plenty of dietary fibers and vitamin C. Tomatillo is good source of vitamins of the B group, vitamins A and K and minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, manganese and phosphorus. Tomato is good source of manganese and potassium. Green tomato and tomatillo have crisp texture and sweet, slightly tart flavor. Tomatillos, sometimes called husk tomatoes, look like green, unripe tomatoes with a dry, leafy husk that wraps around the outside.

The color of the fruit is a beautiful bright green, which fades a bit once you cook them—but hey, some of us just peak early, right? Tomatillos have a slightly more acidic, slightly less sweet flavor than ripe and unripe tomatoes. Overall, the flavor is more vegetal and bright, and the interior texture is denser and less watery. Prepping a tomatillo is pretty straight forward. The husks can be easily removed with your hands and discarded. From here, you decide what you want to do with them.

If you want to keep the flavor bright and play up their bracing acidity, use them raw. The tomatillo plant, which is a relatively disease-resistant member of the nightshade family, originated in Mexico.

Tomatillos can be eaten raw or cooked. They're perhaps most often associated with salsa verde. Contrary to its name, a tomatillo is actually not a little green tomato. Though the two plants are distantly related, they are not the same thing — substitution is definitely not recommended.

One of the main differences? Unlike tomatoes, tomatillos are covered in a papery husk that must be peeled away before use. They also have different flavors and textures tomatillos remain firm when ripe, while tomatoes soften a bit. Tomatillos are sweet, tart, subtly fruity, and a bit earthy. When raw, they're quite acidic. Cooked tomatillos are a bit milder in flavor. Farmers know it's time to harvest when the fruit is green and fully fills out the husk.

If they're left to ripen further, tomatillos will split the husk and turn yellow or purple. They're ready to eat when the husks start to slightly split open at the bottom.

You'll find tomatillos at the grocery store or farmers' market in late summer and early fall.