I love making homemade salsa-the ingredients are so fresh and fragrant, and it’s such a quick snack to throw together. The one problem I have is when I want salsa in the winter. Where I live, it’s difficult to get those perfect, ripe tomatoes in the supermarket. The varieties offered in the cold months tend to be bland and not up to par.
I also like to allow my salsa to sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving to allow the vegetables to soften and the flavors to blend. Some people love the fresh, crunchy-ness of salsa and eat it as soon as it’s made. It’s all about personal preference.
When I get in a wintertime rut about this and am really craving some summery salsa, I’ll use canned diced tomatoes. If you purchase a variety that is really tasty and doesn’t have any added sugar or strange ingredients (I like Trader Joes brand a lot-or I use my own canned if I have them from the summer), then you’ll get that summer salsa fresh taste in half the time. Because they are canned and allowed to sit in their own juices for an extended period of time, they’re already soft and seem to absorb the flavors of the other ingredients a lot faster. I can easily throw the ingredients together in a bowl and the salsa tastes like it’s been blending flavors in the fridge for hours.
Quick Homemade Salsa
Makes about 2 cups
What You’ll Need:
+ 16 ounce can good quality diced tomatoes (or 2 fresh tomatoes)
+ 1 small white onion, finely minced
+ 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
+ pinch salt and pepper
+ few sprigs cilantro (optional)
+ juice from 1/2 a lemon
+ 1 clove garlic, minced
Combine all ingredients in a bowl or jar, stir to combine, and serve. Keep refrigerated.
Why Cook this From Scratch?: Compared to a well known store bought brand, You SAVE 20 calories per serving, 3 grams sugar, 450mg sodium, and you’ll save approximately $2 per jar. Plus, it’s FRESH and FUN!
A Pinch Here, A Dash There 