Making Salsa With Canned Tomatoes

Salsa is not only a delicious and healthy snack, but it also makes a great topping for salad (turn any salad into taco salad by adding salsa), it's yummy on eggs, baked potatoes, french fries, chicken, fish, you name it! Salsa is an easy way to add instant flavor to so many dishes! And, when you make the salsa yourself, you get to skip the added sugar and questionable additives and preservatives.

My husband Andrew loves to make salsa. In the height of summer, he will use fresh tomatoes, but canned tomatoes work equally well during the rest of the year (or when we can't get to the farmers market). Technically, any tomato will work. We have used grape tomatoes, slicing tomatoes, and odd-colored heirloom tomatoes to make salsa. Each salsa was delicious. However, over the years, he has found that his favorite tomatoes to use are San Marzano tomatoes. Why? Because he said so, that's why.

Watch Andrew Make Salsa

Filming with Andrew is always a trip. We started a little rough, but we managed. I hope you enjoy watching.

The Basic Recipe

Ingredients

32oz can of whole San Marzano tomatoes

1/4- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/2 medium red onion

1-3 jalapenos (depending on the heat of the peppers and your heat preference)

2-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 lime, zested and juiced

1 shot of tequila

scant 1 TBSP kosher salt

Directions

• Add everything except tomatoes to food processor. Process to a small chop.

• Add canned tomatoes and process until everything is incorporated.

• Allow to sit in refrigerator for 2+ hours. Check heat and adjust if needed.

Notes

1. Hot peppers vary greatly in heat level from pepper to pepper. Start with less and add more if needed to reach the desired heat.

2. Removing the membrane and seeds from a pepper will decrease its heat level. If you want a mild salsa, be sure to remove them.

3. Hot peppers can burn you, so use caution when handling.

4. If the salsa is too spicy you have a few options.

   1. Add more tomato to dilute the spice.

   2. Add more lime juice (or lemon juice, or vinegar) to reduce the heat.

   3. You can also add sweetener to decrease the heat.

How Can I Make It My Own?

Do you want to personalize your salsa?

• The easiest way is to change the ingredient quantities to suit your taste. Use more of the ingredients you love and less of the ones you don't.

• Make substitutions. Use scallions instead of red onion. Try fresno or poblano peppers in place of the jalapenos. Use lemon in place of the lime.

• Think about additions. After processing in the food processor, transfer to a bowl and stir in corn, black beans, chopped avocado, diced fresh tomato, or finely chopped pineapple or mango.

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