Salsa Fresca

For about 10 years I have been making salsa.  My recipe changes almost every time but here are the basics for making a fresh, chunky, salsa.

This dish is also called pico de gallo.

Step 1: Ingredients

There are some things that i put in every salsa i make.  Usually I double this amount just so I can munch on chips and salsa through a good portion of the week.

• 5-8 Tomatoes (usually roma but I have used just about any fresh and firm tomato available)
• 1 or more bunches of Cilantro
• 1 can of Corn
• Onions (I use two bunches of green onions now)
• 2-3 cloves of Garlic
• 0 slices of Bacon (I know, weird, right?)

There are many other things you can put in too...

• Jalapeño peppers (or even hotter peppers) with or without the seeds
• Limes to squeeze the juice onto the salsa
• Avocados, mangoes, carrots, radishes... experiment!

Step 2: Chop Tomatoes

I'm not very good at this step despite chopping these things pretty frequently.  Often i'll chop a few and then move on to something different for the salsa and then come back to them.  Tomatoes are just so boring.  And after a while they start to kind of burn my skin.

Step 3: Add Corn

I have a friend that hates that i put corn in my salsa - you also might not like it.  I use canned corn because fresh corn is a bit more seasonal than all the rest of the ingredients.  Cut the lid but leave a hinge so you can easily drain the corn before you dump it out.

Step 4: Chop the Onion

I have used a few different types of onion.  But bunches of green onion are my favorite.  They require far less cutting to make them salsa-chunk-size!

Step 5: Shred the Cilantro

Unfortunately I do not have a photo of this step.  As you're well aware, cilantro is very sneaky.  If cilantro was your friend and you had your camera out, cilantro is the kind of friend that always turns away or hold up their hand whenever a camera is around.  This is well documented.  Ask anyone that has tried to photograph cilantro. 

Maybe it is the whole "Chinese parsley" or "coriander" naming confusion. 

One thing that is for sure - this stuff is good for you!

Step 6: Peel and Mince the Garlic

I tend to go overboard on the garlic.  Sorry.  I have been known to put an entire head in.  But just a few cloves are probably best if you're going to be sharing this batch.

Many health benefits have been identified for garlic.  Social benefits seem t be fairly limited though.

Step 7: Mix Well and Enjoy!

Stir all the ingredients together and use your favorite tortilla chip (or make your own) to test it out.  Add ingredients that you may have left over per your taste.  Perhaps a dash of sale or some pepper...  Maybe serve it up with some guacamole in a slightly disturbing doll dish...

Comments

[Gambit510]

Thanks a lot for this share. I just spent the last 45 minutes in the kitchen doing this and it turned out great. I did it without the corn but put in some lime and some salt. I also had to fry up some tortillas to make the chips seeing as we had run out . It turned out delicious and it was real fun to make for someone like me who doesn't have much cooking knowledge under their belt. Thanks again!

[suayres]

If the tomato juices burn your skin, you might try wearing disposable rubber or neoprene gloves while working with them. I keep a few pair on hand for working with chiles--that way you don't have any ugly incidents with jalapeño juices in eyes or less mentionable places. Also nice for making bread--my hub used to have a bear of a time getting bread dough out of the hair on the back of his hands....

[sunshiine]

I am saving this because I love salsa and have wanted to learn how to make it. I like it hot! Thanks for sharing. I always have to make mine separate because no one can eat it except me.

[talty]

Hi :) I wanted to comment and tell you congratulations for making your own salsa and having fun experimenting! That's what food is all about.

Pico de gallo salsa doesn't traditionally have corn, however. And we use white onions! It's also called mexican salsa because it has the colors of the mexican flag: green (cilantro), white (onions) and red (tomatoes). Nothing wrong with making your own salsa! I'm just sharing a fact I consider interesting :D

I like to use serranos instead of jalapeños, serranos are a bit hotter and I like the flavor. Lime, salt and a bit of oil really bring all the flavors together and make a great salsa!

[zieak]

I have never tried oil... I'll give it a go! Thanks for your lengthy comment too!

[talty]

You're welcome! :) Just a bit of oil, I don't know how exactly but it works... I hope you like it!

[General Zod]

I have also tried a little red wine vinegar with the oil (just a splash) and it also brings out the flavors. Also, my sister made a version of this that had black-eyed peas in it....sounds weird, but it tasted really good.

[jimwi]

I,m with your friend. Why O Why would you put corn in it ?? LOL A good dish all the same. Good Job.

[jen7714]

Nice instructable! Very colorful. I've actually never made salsa. I'll give it a go next time though. Thanks!

[ingaat]

Zieak, Try using shoepeg corn in the recipe. I use it in different mexican dishes and I like it better then just regular canned corn.Thanks for the recipe. You can find shoepeg corn in any store.

[zieak]

Thank you, I'll try and find that and give it a try!

[mrfoltz]

All these ideals are great, I have to try the mangos as well...... drool........

[EToft]

I like your recipe...for me it's all about the cilantro...but that's not what I stopped to comment about. I've been making similar salsa/pico for years and I am a bit finicky in that I dislike tomato skins in the salsa. Solution: Boil up a pot of water, and blanch the tomatoes...dunk 'em in the boiling water for about 20 seconds each. One or two at a time is easiest. Then when you cut out the stem, you can peel the skin right off.

And here is another thing to try...forget the tomatoes and grab a seedless watermelon. It is amazing how well it blends with the onions, garlic, cilantro, and hot pepers to make a fantastic deep red, mildly sweet salsa.

[mrfoltz]

Wow! Great recipe and great idea with the watermelon!!!
Yummy for both!!!!

[AmyLuthien]

hmmm, watermelon. Now that sounds like an excellent idea! I'm going to have t try that! I wonder how honeydew would taste?

[KittyF]

now that's interesting. I can't use tomatoes every day or I get pain in my joints, but a non tomato salsa would be a wonderful resource!! thanks!!!

[zieak]

Those are great suggestions! I'll try them out.

[BtheBike]

when i have to resort to canned corn I rinse it . The high salt
will often over power all the fresh flavors . And Juanita's
chips are Awesome =D

[sunshiine]

Yum! Thanks for sharing! It looks sooooo good! Mangoes nice touch!

[zieak]

Thank you!