Lets talk Salsa!

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I wanted to pass on a couple of steps in making salsa that can make a huge difference in the quality of the end product.

I HATE runny salsa…Salsa should cling to a chip without plopping in your lap before you get it to your mouth. That said, I have developed a method that leaves your salsa much thicker and richer without requiring much cooking down.

I remove the skins, remove the seeds and chop my tomatoes. I then place the tomatoes in a large colander atop a bowl or kettle and go away and leave it for about 6 hours. You will be amazed how much liquid comes out of those chopped tomatoes. You will have more liquid than I do as the tomatoes I use are much, much drier, have fewer seeds and hardly any gel fraction.

The recipe I use calls for tomato paste and tomato sauce. I add my other ingredients, cippolini onions, sweet peppers, hot peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, cumin & lime juice and bring that to a boil. I let it boil for 10 minutes. Then I add the tomatoes and the cilantro, mixing well and fill my jars. Cooking the tomatoes less contributes to a chunkier and thicker salsa. My recipe calls for 10 minutes in the canner.

I have also switched to growing and using the pepper “Santa Fe Grande” exclusively in my salsa. This is a terrific pepper. Lush, 2-3 foot plants just covered with 3 to 4” long peppers that go from creamy green color to banana yellow (and eventually to orange then red.) These are a little less hot than jalapenos but than means you can add a few more and the yellow, red and orange colors contribute to a beautiful salsa. I also add the hotter, larger yellow “volcano pepper” to a batch for my Son and habanero’s to a batch for a friend who has no taste buds left at all! Whatever pepper you use is fine.
Anyway, that’s my salsa hints for the day!

[newatthiskat]

Some great tips!

[Ed of Somis]

I think what we make is really called pico de gallo. I am not sure. Do you have to cook salsa? What is the difference?

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Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

I think what we make is really called pico de gallo. I am not sure. Do you have to cook salsa? What is the difference?

I am talking about salsa for canning, not fresh.

[WVTomatoMan]

Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

I think what we make is really called pico de gallo. I am not sure. Do you have to cook salsa? What is the difference?

I think this is one of those things where the difference isn't clearly defined and "experts" disagree. I suppose the most commonly agreed upon definition is salsa is cooked while pico de gallo is fresh. Also, pico de gallo can contain ingredients you wouldn't normally find in salsa such as cucumber, radishes or fruit. I make what I call salsa fresca (aka pico de gallo). Like I told a friend, I make it so I get to call it whatever I want.

Mine is the classic ingredients of tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, cilantro and onions. I also add Regina's white wine vinegar, Lowry's seasoned salt and pepper and a little white sugar. Quite a bit of liquid is generated from not de-seeding etc. Scoop the good stuff on your chip or food and leave the liquid behind. Strain the liquid and mix with vodka for the best Bloody Mary ever. Seriously.

Randy

p.s. My salsa is a pretty popular item. I've made 5.75 gallons so far this year - that number will double or triple before the year is done.

[Alfredo]

Sounds quite tasty.

[FaithHopeLove]

I bought one Santa Fe Grande from Home Depot. They haven't produced any peppers yet but getting close.

[meadowyck]

do you have a picture to share of your final product? great instructions.

[Crissyb]

Do you have an exact recipe you could post? I tried a few recipes last year that I did not like, still looking for the perfect salsa. Thanks for tips too!

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Originally Posted by Crissyb

Do you have an exact recipe you could post? I tried a few recipes last year that I did not like, still looking for the perfect salsa. Thanks for tips too!

Salsa
8 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed, chopped and drained in colander for 6 hours.
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 -5 peppers of your choice
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup lime juice
16 oz. tomato sauce
16 oz tomato paste
Mix all ingredients except tomatoes and cilantro, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cilantro pour into hot jars, water bath canner for 15 minutes for pints. I am at sea level.
Makes 6 pints


Up to 1000 ft. Processing time is 15 minutes.
1001 - 3000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 5 minutes to 20 minutes total.
3001 - 6000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 10 minutes to 25 minutes total.
6001 - 8000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 15 minutes to 30 minutes total.
8001 - 10,000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 20 minutes to 35 minutes total.

[bower]

That recipe looks great! Thank you.

I grew Santa Fe Grande for the first time this year and it's now my favourite pepper. Just the right amount of heat, and consistently so, it seems. Gorgeous colour and very tasty whether yellow or red. And really pumping out the peppers.

I made fresh salsa with them last night again, they are perfect for it.

[brokenbar]

It is now my favorite too! I have never grown a pepper that produces so well. I agree about the heat...I like spicy but not so hot you can't taste the food. They are also fabulous stir fried. I pickled some and they were quite tasty. I do a pickling solution that has no water so you don't have to do them in the canner and they stay crisp.

[z_willus_d]

Originally Posted by brokenbar

Salsa
8 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed, chopped and drained in colander for 6 hours.
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 -5 peppers of your choice
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup lime juice
16 oz. tomato sauce
16 oz tomato paste
Mix all ingredients except tomatoes and cilantro, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cilantro pour into hot jars, water bath canner for 15 minutes for pints. I am at sea level.
Makes 6 pints


Up to 1000 ft. Processing time is 15 minutes.
1001 - 3000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 5 minutes to 20 minutes total.
3001 - 6000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 10 minutes to 25 minutes total.
6001 - 8000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 15 minutes to 30 minutes total.
8001 - 10,000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 20 minutes to 35 minutes total.

Couple questions, as I am a salsa fanatic, and your recipe seems different than many I've tried this year.

1. How do you remove the skins from your Zapos and RST tomatoes without cooking or blanching them? I can't envision peeling the skin too easily
2. Do you roast any of the ingredients?
3. Are those green peppers the canned green chiles like Ortega brand, or something fresh from the garden.
4. I noticed you wrote chopped for the green peppers. Are the other peppers chopped in any particular fashion? Do you remove the skins from the other 3-5 choice peppers? I assume these are your Santa Fe?
5. Do you actually just add tomato sauce and paste that you made from the garden or are they store canned? I'm assuming average consistency for the two.
6. When you write, "mix all ingredients except the tomatoes and cilantro..." by tomatoes, do you also include the paste and sauce?

Thanks for sharing your great recipes. Oh, any particular source for the seeds you recommend, or would you say the peppers you've recommended in this thread are true to type from most/all sources?


-naysen

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Originally Posted by z_willus_d

Couple questions, as I am a salsa fanatic, and your recipe seems different than many I've tried this year.

1. How do you remove the skins from your Zapos and RST tomatoes without cooking or blanching them? I can't envision peeling the skin too easily
2. Do you roast any of the ingredients?
3. Are those green peppers the canned green chiles like Ortega brand, or something fresh from the garden.
4. I noticed you wrote chopped for the green peppers. Are the other peppers chopped in any particular fashion? Do you remove the skins from the other 3-5 choice peppers? I assume these are your Santa Fe?
5. Do you actually just add tomato sauce and paste that you made from the garden or are they store canned? I'm assuming average consistency for the two.
6. When you write, "mix all ingredients except the tomatoes and cilantro..." by tomatoes, do you also include the paste and sauce?

Thanks for sharing your great recipes. Oh, any particular source for the seeds you recommend, or would you say the peppers you've recommended in this thread are true to type from most/all sources?
-naysen

I blanch the tomatoes as there is really no other easy way. Green peppers are bells or other sweet peppers. All peppers chopped. Paste...I take a bunch of sun dried tomatoes, soak them in water for about 30 minutes, drain and run through food processor. The skin on the sun dried toms is pretty well unnoticeable after the food processor. Tastes better than any paste I have ever bought! I have used store bought tomato paste and it was very good as well in the finished product. Yep..sauce and paste mixed before boiling too. All that brought to boil. Not putting tomatoes in until last, after the boiling, really makes a difference.

Santa Fe Grande is available from several vendors on line and is pretty consistent as to type.

[JRinPA]

Originally Posted by brokenbar

Salsa
8 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeds removed, chopped and drained in colander for 6 hours.
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
3 -5 peppers of your choice
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup lime juice
16 oz. tomato sauce
16 oz tomato paste
Mix all ingredients except tomatoes and cilantro, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cilantro pour into hot jars, water bath canner for 15 minutes for pints. I am at sea level.
Makes 6 pints


Up to 1000 ft. Processing time is 15 minutes.
1001 - 3000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 5 minutes to 20 minutes total.
3001 - 6000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 10 minutes to 25 minutes total.
6001 - 8000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 15 minutes to 30 minutes total.
8001 - 10,000 ft. Increase processing time an extra 20 minutes to 35 minutes total.

WHat is the proper headspace for this recipe? A quick answer would be great, thanks, we are halfway through 24 jars and I think only 3 of 6 popped on the first set.