Make Your Own Salsa
Believe it or not, salsa has topped ketchup as America’s most popular condiment, according to some sales reports. Salsa can be more than just tomatoes and onions, though. Pass up the jarred stuff and make fresh mixes at home.
What Exactly Is Salsa?
Many folks confuse the terms “relish” and “salsa” so let’s get those straight first. A relish is made from cooked, pickled, chopped vegetables or fruits — you’ll usually find chunks within the sauce. Salsa, on the other hand, means “sauce” in Spanish and can be cooked or raw. There are several variations of salsa — you may see “salsa cruda,” meaning it’s uncooked, or “salsa verde,” which is a green salsa made from tomatillo’s, green chilis and cilantro. Depending on what you prefer, you can puree the veggies and fruits or leave chunky pieces in the mix.
Nutrition Facts
A half cup of oil-free salsa (that’s 8 tablespoons) typically ranges from 25 to 40 calories and contains minimal fat. Once any type of oil goes in the mix that adds 14 grams of fat and 120 calories per tablespoon. The jarred varieties typically use little added fat; check the label for specifics, but there are usually 25 calories per half cup. There are dozens of variations on salsa — some have added beans, others mix in sweeter fruits. As long as you keep it fresh and oil free, you can keep the calories under control.
Peppers are one common, good-for-you ingredient in a simple salsa mix. Use them and you add some vitamins A, C, B6 and K to your meal. Spicier salsas often have jalapenos or other chili peppers that contain the antioxidant capsaicin, which research has linked to preventing food spoilage and protecting our blood vessels. One study even found that people who drank a hot-pepper extract 30 minutes before a meal ate 16% fewer calories than those who sipped on tomato juice (without the capsaicin). So hey, if you like spicy, go for it!
I often opt for salsa over other condiments like mayo (all fat!), ketchup (the bottled kind has high fructose corn syrup) or honey-mustard (lots of sugar). With freshly made salsa, you get all the benefits of fruits and veggies without any added preservatives.
What To Pair With Your Salsa
Yes, chips, of course, but that’s not it. Try dunking fresh carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, celery and broccoli into your homemade salsa. You can top a salad with some fruit-based salsa (like this grapefruit one) or add black bean salsa to a basic burrito or soft taco.
Salsa made with mango or pineapple goes well on chicken and fish, while tomato salsa gives a nice kick to seafood like mussels or swordfish. But don’t just stop there. Anywhere you use ketchup consider subbing in a tomato-based salsa. I like my over-easy eggs with a spicy salsa, and I even mix salsa into my macaroni and cheese.
Making Your Own
The jarred stuff is the easy way out, but it’s not hard to prep your own (especially now while we have all this fresh produce available). If you’re a first timer, start with a simple chopped tomato salsa. Here are your basic ingredients:
- 2 pounds plum tomatoes (this variety has less seeds)
- 1 large onion, white or yellow
- 1-2 red or yellow bell peppers
- 1-2 jalapeno peppers (the more, the spicer! You can use less if spicy isn’t your thing)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt and chopped fresh cilantro to taste
You can spend a good 30 minutes finely chopping all the veggie or just use a veggie chopper to cut prep time down to about 10 minutes (that’s what I do). Once you’ve chopped away, add lime juice and salt to taste. Experiment with different peppers to see which you love best. Your fresh salsa will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
- More recipes to try:
- Mango Salsa
- Salsa Fresca (shown above)
- Tomato Salsa
- Avocado and Corn Salsa
- Pineapple Salsa
- Cherry Salsa
- Watermelon Salsa
[Photo courtesy of BakinBaby / Recipezaar]
I had no idea that adding the oil makes that big of a difference. We have so many tomatos coming out of the garden right now. I am going to make some using this receipe. Thank you!
I've always intended to try this, but I've been irrationally afraid of making it too spicy, too watery, too whatever. Next time I go to the supermarket I will get some jalapenos and tomatoes and give it a go.
What is the differance between "salsa" and "Pica de gio" not spelled right I'm sure?
It's Pico de Gallo……..salsa is tomatoes , chile serano or jalapenos, onions, and cilantro all
cut upand cooked. Pico de Gallo are the same mix but chopped up with lime juice and mixed raw.
This is a great article, but you don't have to get to store bought jarred kind when the ingredients are out of season. I actually make large batches of salsa and jar it for later use. I don't always feel like getting my food processor out and we go through ridiculous batches of salsa at our house. Jarring is super easy too: the jars can be found at most big box stores. You just clean the jars, make the salsa, fill the jars, put the jars in a huge pot of boiling water (with enough water to cover the jars with an inch of water), and let boil for 35-40 minutes. Then remove the jars with tongs, let cool, push on the lid to make sure it's sealed (it shouldn't pop, it should be sucked down a bit), label with the date, and enjoy. It's a great Sunday project and totally worth it because you can control exactly what is put in there, and make it exactly how you like it.
Thanks for the tip. I do a lot of canning but never thought of canning my salsa.
Make sure that you don't push on the lid though until at least 24 hours have passed. Otherwise, you run the risk of ruining the seal. This could then lead to spoilage.
this is called PICO DE GALLO
I have tried this receipe for salsa. Not only did I add extra virgin olive oil, but a couple splashes of red wine vinegar. The more it sits in refridg. the better it is.
What is the shelf life for fresh salsa without doing the boiling method?
Hi Amy – I usually keep my fresh salsa in the fridge for no longer than one week (if it lasts that long). If it sits for longer than that, the acid in the salsa tends to make the ingredients mushy and not as tasty.
Is there any special preparation or ingredient added to salsa if you are going to can it and keep it in the pantry?
tony, I made some salsa a few weeks ago and canned it . I first put habenaro peppers, red chilipeppers, banana pepper, an onion , some cilantro, an few spices , garlic etc. in food processor. Boiled it in white vinegar, also jars an lids and sealed them is very hot but so good
i made salsa 2 day ago and i canned it. i put a onion, bell pepper, habenaro pepper, cilantro, garlic, little salt and pepper, little EVOO , and tomatoes……………….
VERY GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i do a lot of canning -tomatoes, beans, apples, pickles – don't you find a significant difference in the flavor when canning salsa? i feel like most of the lime and cilantro flavors are destroyed in the heat of the canning process. any suggestions??
I really love homemade pico de gallo, and I do it by buying no salt canned diced tomatoes, adding dried cilantro, frozen chopped onions and peppers, and salt. I'll often add red pepper flakes, a shot of hot sauce, and a splash of lime. Amazing, delicious, and very, very affordable.
Why add oil to salsa???