How to Make Green Salsa Verde

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We had the best corn chip dip ever in this little hole in the wall restaurant. It was years ago but I still remember how everyone at the table raved about it!

Ever since I could never find an equal to the taste of that green salsa dip. Until now, that is.

Tomatillos From the Garden
Tomatillos From the Garden

This year tomatillos were a success in the garden, so it was really satisfying to have my own fruit to make a batch of green salsa for the first time.

Ripe Tomatillos Fill The Husk
Ripe Tomatillos Fill The Husk
One Pound of Tomatillos
One Pound of Tomatillos

The year before last wasn’t a success as only one plant came to maturity in the garden. Without a second plant to cross-fertilize its flowers the fruit was barely bigger than a pea.

The Salsa Verde recipe came from a local fruit and vegetable market where they offered tomatillos for the first time. The story goes that a new Latino employee introduced them to growing the small tomato relative. As a way to get people interested in trying the newest fruit at the market they shared the following recipe.

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Huge Green Worms Like Cherry Tomatoes

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Tomato Horn Worms are so gross. Big, squishy green worms with busy mouths that won’t cut tomatoes a break.

Harvested Sungold Cherry Tomatoes Escaped Hornworm Damage
Harvested Sungold Cherry Tomatoes Escaped Hornworm Damage

The other day I harvested yet another quart of cherry tomatoes from the garden — that Sungold Cherry Tomato has been producing like crazy!

I noticed a few green tomatoes that were half eaten and right away I knew the culprit was the dreaded Tomato Horn Worm or one of its brethren.

Horn Worms Eat Tomato Fruits Not Just Leaves
Horn Worms Eat Tomato Fruits Not Just Leaves

(Click on any image to see a larger view. Photos taken 23 Sep 2015.)

Several big green caterpillars that get in the tomato patch might be called horn worms. They sure are big and kinda gross.

I found 3 of them. Two were thrown out of the garden by first ripping off the branches they were clinging to and tossing them on the gravel drive. Hopefully, they became bird food or some opossum came by and had a late night snack.

The third caterpillar I left hanging from that cherry tomato vine. It had already been infected with wasp eggs.

Wasp Eggs On Infected Horn Worm Caterpillar
Wasp Eggs On Infected Horn Worm Caterpillar

Sure, I’ll promote more of those little buggers to live by letting them feast on the caterpillar after they hatch into grubs. The close-up view of the above image shows some of the grubs have already spun their cocoons.

Not all wasps are our enemies. Braconid wasps lay their eggs on horn worms. The immature wasp grubs will consume the caterpillar as their first food. Then, there’ll be more wasps in the future to help control these big green caterpillars.

Doomed Caterpillar
Doomed Caterpillar