Growing up, we always used salsa out of a jar… it never even crossed my mind that you could make it at home. It wasn’t until my mother-in-law (Honi) made it for us one summer weekend when visiting, that I realized how easy it was to whip up on your own– with ingredients that I always have on hand.
One thing I love about my mother-in-law is that she can find a way to make a meal out of anything. Give her a few pantry staples and vegetables, and she can throw together something really delicious. I’m still working on that (ha), but I’m hoping that one day I’ll be able to do the same. She also really enjoys gardening, and if we’re lucky, the salsa is made with her fresh grown tomatoes and jalapeños. Talk about fresh, yum!
Honi’s Note on Jalepeños
Don’t throw away the seeds/membrane! That’s where the majority of your jalepeño’s spice lives.
Once salsa is blended with the cored jalepeño, do a taste test. Want more spice? Simply scrape the seeds off the membrane and toss the membrane into the salsa. Blend until combined.
Keep in mind, this salsa is extremely customizable. I love this recipe for the “novice chef”, because it’s easy to play with. Like mentioned above, you can make it more spicy by adding the core of the jalapeño, or throw in more cilantro, if you love that flavor. There’s no way to mess this recipe up!
LEMON DROP
This recipe makes a ton (although if you’re like Chandler and me, it won’t be in your fridge long!), but you can freeze it if you have too much! Salsa makes a great soup base for chicken soup, posole, or vegetable soup. Just take it out of the freezer and warm it up in a pot before adding the rest of your soup ingredients. It’s also easy to cut the recipe in half if you only want enough for a week.
Honi’s Homemade Salsa
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 28 oz canned tomato (whole or diced)* not "Italian style"
- 1 c cilantro leaves & stems packed
- ½ onion large
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½+ jalapeño cored, more or less, depending on spice level
- 1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice about 1/4 lime
- salt
Instructions
- Prep vegetables: cut tomatoes (if using fresh) and onion into 1 inch chunks, to assist the food processor. Smash and remove paper from garlic cloves, and core/deseed the jalapeño.
- Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime juice to food processor and blend until smooth.
- Sample the salsa. Add more jalapeño/jalepeño core (see Honi's note in the post)**, cilantro, or lime juice as desired and blend again. Add salt to taste.
- Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
