Homemade Salsa that surprisingly doesn’t use Cumin, Cilantro or Bell Peppers. Roasted & Ground for Smooth Restaurant style Salsa. Small diced or chopped Chunky for Jar Style Salsa. Make it as Mild, Medium, or Hot as you want. All within a thickened Zesty Tomato Salsa Sauce to bring it all together and make it perfect for dipping Tortilla Chips. Try it with Nachos, Burritos, Tacos, in Taco Rice or other Taco Tuesday Meals or Snacks.
Salsa Ingredients
Made with Tomatoes, Water, Tomato Paste, Onion, Pickled Jalapeño Peppers, White Vinegar, Salt, Sugar, Lemon Juice, Dried Minced Garlic, Dried Minced Onions, Garlic Powder, and Parsley Flakes.
Salsa Vegetables
Composed mostly of Tomatoes, followed by Onions and Pickled Jalapeños for some heat. Garlic is added in dry form, both dehydrated minced Garlic & Garlic Powder. With dehydrated minced Onions. You can also add in Bell Peppers, should you choose.
Tomatoes
Any kind of Tomatoes can be used. Generally, fleshy Tomatoes like Roma Tomatoes are preferred. Use about 1 lb, slightly over is fine.
Onions
White Onions are traditionally used. Red Onions and/or Green Onions can also be used or included. You can also use Yellow Onions just the same. We only need about 100g, so about half a small white Onion.
Jalapeños
This recipe uses pickled Jalapeños. Finely chop the desired amount to add to the Salsa.
Salsa Sauce
The combination of Water & Tomato Paste thickens up as the base Tomato Sauce. This is very important because you want a strong Tomato Flavor Salsa that isn’t watery. Both the Water & Tomato Paste increases the Tomato Flavors, assists to blend the flavors more readily and create a thickness to the Salsa which is very much desired.
Tomato Paste
Use a good quality double or triple concentrated, deep red Tomato Paste. A single small can (156 ml or 5.5 fl oz) can be used, which is about 1/2 C.
Acidity
Both White Vinegar & Lemon Juice are added to up the acidity in the Salsa. In some cases, depending on the type of Tomato paste or Tomatoes used. A bit more can be added, so that your Salsa always has a Vibrant Zest to it.
Heat Level in Salsa
The heat level of the Salsa is controlled by how much Jalapeño are included or not. The main source of heat in Jalapeños is in the seeds, inner membrane and white pith of the Jalapeño. The Heat can be reduced slightly with the seeds omitted. More so with the inner membrane and pith scraped off.
With Pickled Jalapeños and removing the seeds, I don’t really notice any difference in heat. This recipe uses Pickled Jalapeños, so the heat is controlled by how much Jalapeños are added. With or without the seeds doesn’t really matter much.
Mild Salsa
Use 5-8g Pickled Jalapeños. Pickled Jalapeños are tamer in heat than fresh Jalapeños. 5 g of Pickled Jalapeños (2 slices) will be very Mild. Adding 8 g (3 slices) will make it a good Mild. Omitting Jalapeños entirely, you can add in Cayenne Pepper to the desired heat level. Mix a small amount in and taste. Add more if needed to reach the desired heat level.
Medium Salsa
For a Medium Salsa, use 10-13g of Pickled Jalapeños. At about 13g, it starts to get hot, for some this may still be considered a Mild heat. For most, I would think, teetering on a solid Medium or slightly spicy or Hot Salsa.
Hot Salsa
For a Hot Salsa, add more than the 13g of Pickled Jalapeños. Additional Heat can be added in through the use of more Jalapeños or a play on heat with both Jalapeños & Cayenne Pepper. The heat is almost instant, so add your minced Jalapeños and/or Cayenne Pepper to taste and adjust as desired.
Restaurant Salsa
Restaurant Salsa is often much smoother than the kinds of Salsa you buy in the stores. The Vegetables are Roasted or Broiled and ground in a Molcajete or Mortar & Pestle. For Restaurant Salsa at home, roast the Vegetables and then run them through a food processor to add to the Sauce.
Roasted Salsa
Roasted Salsa introduces a char flavor to the Salsa, at the same time softening the Vegetables. The outside of the Tomatoes will go paste like, acting as a thickener to thicken the Sauce more. While the Onions will become soft, but with some bite to them still. Smoked Paprika can be added to taste to introduce a smoked flavor.
Broiled Tomatoes & Onion
Slice about 1 lb of Tomatoes & Onion in half (about 100g) and Broil, skin facing up, until softened and charred, about 5–10 minutes in middle rack position. Simmer the sauce at the same time. Optionally with a fresh Jalapeño if using instead of the Pickled Jalapeños.
Diced Broiled Tomatoes & Onion
Set the Tomato Salsa sauce aside to cool along with the Broiled Vegetables. Once the Vegetables are cooled enough to handle, run through the food processor or dice and combine with the Zesty Tomato Sauce to mix well.
Jar Salsa
The Salsa you get in the Jars are a bit chunkier than the restaurant version. For this type of Salsa, small dice or coarsely chop the Vegetables for chunkier and cook in a pan just until the Onions are translucent. Before adding in the Tomato Salsa Sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes.
This Salsa recipe makes enough to fill a Salsa Jar the same as you would buy in the stores, about 645 ml, give or take. In fact, you can save your Salsa Jars for this recipe. Place the Salsa in the jars after the Salsa has cooled, cover and refrigerate. The Flavors develop even more overnight.
Equipment
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Digital Scale
Ingredients
- 1 lb Tomatoes - diced and rinsed to discard seeds
- 8 g Pickled Jalapeño - Finely chopped for Mild Heat, 10-13g or more for Medium – Spicy Heat
- 1 White Onion - about 100g, small diced
Sauce
- 1 C Water
- 1/2 C Tomato Paste - good quality, double or triple concentrate
- 1 Tbl White Vinegar
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice & White Sugar - each, can omit or substitute sugar
- 1 tsp Sea Salt, Parsley, Dried Minced Onion & Garlic - each
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Combine the Salsa sauce in a small bowl and set aside until needed.
- Prepare the Vegetables and add to the Skillet over max heat. Cook until the Onions are translucent, and add the bowl of Sauce.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes. Shut the heat off but leave the Salsa on the burner until cooled.
- Serve and place any leftovers into a glass jar to refrigerate.