Purple de Milpa Tomatillo

This unique tomatillo has deep purple skin with a green interior. Sweet and delicious fresh, grilled or in salsa. Start indoors in April with bottom heat; transplant out when weather is warm, outdoors or under a coldframe, 45-60cm apart. 75 days to maturity.

Certified organic in British Columbia. IOPA # 1606, 1105, 1920.

How to Save Tomatillo Seeds 

Fast Facts

Latin: Physalis philadelphica

Cross Pollination: Other tomatillo varieties

Isolation Distance: 800 feet

Minimum Population Size (variety maintenance): 20-50 plants

Minimum Population Size (genetic preservation): 80 plants

Learn more about cross pollination, isolation distance and population size, and why they matter in our blog post Seed Saving 101

Seeding and Care

Grow tomatillos as usual, giving 2 feet of space between plants to ensure that they grow to their full potential. 

Seed Maturity

Let your tomatillos get very ripe. The husk should be completely dried with the fruit bulging out. The most surefire sign of ripeness is that the fruit has fallen to the ground or detaches from the plant with the slightest pressure. As long as they have not become mouldy, you can harvest seeds from tomatillos that have fallen to the ground.

Seed Harvest

Tomatillo seeds are wet processed, which makes the process of separating flesh from seed much easier. To process seeds you will need a food processor. Use a dough blade or wrap the blades in scotch tape to be sure you don’t damage the seeds. Cut the tomatillos in half, in quarters, or as small as necessary for your machine. Place tomatillos in the processor and fill to the top with water. Make sure to split up batches so that there is more water than tomatillo chunks in each. 

As you blend your tomatillos, the seeds will detach and sink to the bottom, while the flesh will float to the top. Once your seeds have been separated, pour off the flesh and water and then pour your seeds through a fine strainer before laying on a tray covered with paper to dry. Complete the wet processing as quickly as possible and be sure not to leave the seeds until they are in the drying stage, as seeds left too long in water will be more likely to sprout, which could spoil your batch.