Tomatillo sweet syrup for shaved ice or raspado

Tomatillo is a small green fruit that is native to Mexico and is always used as a savory ingredient, mostly in salsas to accompany chicken or beef dishes. Although it is edible fresh, it is always consumed cooked, usually blended with jalapeños and cilantro.

This fruit is different than the cape gooseberry which is native to Peru (aguaymanto), uvilla (Ecuador), or uchuva in Colombia. Cape gooseberry is yellow and sweet and tomatillos are green and tart and sometimes shades of purple.

My mother planted tomatillos one year and has never had to replant again, every year it grows wild on our farm in California. We collect, de-husk, wash, and freeze until we need them. This year we needed to make space in the freezer and I had the idea to make a topping for raspados. And even though everyone doubted the idea, it turned out to be very delicious. I have traveled through most of Latin America and have never seen tomatillo used in a sweet recipe and was excited to see how well it turned out.

This fruit is different than the cape gooseberry which is native to Peru (aguaymanto), uvilla (Ecuador), or uchuva in Colombia. Cape gooseberry is yellow and sweet and tomatillos are green and tart and sometimes shades of purple. Below is a cape gooseberry (not used in the Mexican kitchen) often confused with tomatillo. These I dipped in chocolate in a class I taught in Peru.

Tomatillos usually grow the size of a cherry tomato and can get as big as a golf ball. The husk has to be removed before cooking. 

The steps for making the syrup are simple. Gather all of your tomatillos and figure out how much you have. You will need that weight in sugar. I know, it’s a lot of sugar but that’s the point, this is a sugar syrup. If you want to lessen the sugar that’s ok too. You can do ¼ of the weight of sugar. I used the frozen tomatillos but this can be done with fresh ones as well. 

Once you are finished with your syrup, here are three tools to help you shave ice. The handheld model is what I have used my whole life, it is cheap but easy to cut your figure also. The white model is good for kids and for a few cups of shaved it. The large metal one, I have for events. They will all get the job done.

For a whole lot more on “What are raspados/shaved ice” go to my post and read on.

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