Fermented salsa combines the warm rich spices with the fresh flavor of vegetables. This no-cook simple recipe is an easy and delicious way to add more probiotics to your diet!
The best thing about making fermented salsa is that it works with pretty much any fresh salsa recipe! So if you have a favorite salsa, then try fermenting it.
One recipe, many flavors of salsa
It’s no secret that I LOVE playing with flavor. I like switching around the ingredients in my basic recipes depending on what is in season and the flavor I’m looking for.
Here are a few ways to switch up the flavors in this simple recipe.
- Corn Salsa: To make a corn salsa, grill 2 cobs of corn on the BBQ with the husks on. Then slice corn off the cobs and add it to the salsa recipe instead of the green pepper.
- Tropical salsa: Replace the green pepper and onion in the recipe with 2 ripe mangos.
- Summer fruit salsa: Replace 1 cup of chopped tomatoes with chopped peaches or pears.
- Smokey chipotle salsa: Take out the fresh hot pepper and replace it with dried chipotle peppers. Use about 12 for those who like it hot. To add the chipotle peppers, soak them in 1 cup of boiling water for 30 minutes. Then chop or puree before adding to the salsa.
- Salsa Verde: I admit that we often end up with a lot of unripe tomatoes at the end of the summer. Replacing the ripe tomatoes with a mixture of green tomatoes results in a tangy green salsa.
Storing fermented salsa for winter eating
The best thing about fermentation is that it is a zero-waste, zero-energy way to preserve food! Salsa is a great option for long-term storage. Fermentation tends to soften and acidify vegetables… which is perfect for salsa!
Here are a few tips if you want to pack your salsa for winter eating:
- To prevent any possible contamination, start with a sanitized jar. The easiest way to do that is to pour boiling water into the jar and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Use a fermentation-specific jar or lid like a high-quality fido jar or pickle-pipe lid.
- The salt is the right amount for a 1-quart (1 L) jar, so don’t add extra ingredients or water.
- Hot peppers are prone to going off in long-term ferments. They just seem to attract mold. So I generally avoid using them if I’m going to let my ferment go for more than a week. If you want spicy salsa, add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper instead of fresh hot peppers.
- Store the jars in a cool (64 F/18 C), dark location.
Fermented Salsa
This is a fresh salsa recipe with a twist! Fermenting is an easy and delicious way to blend the flavor of spices and fresh vegetables. The result is a delicious probiotic dip.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 quart 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes (3 lbs)
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1–3 hot pepper w/ seeds (optional)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Optional: 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar (see notes for details)
- Optional: 2 Tbsp tomato paste to thicken after fermenting
Instructions
- Finely chop all the vegetables and mix in a large bowl with the cumin and salt.
- Pack the salsa into jars for fermenting. Make sure to leave headroom as it will bubble. If you want the added tanginess of vinegar, stir in the cider vinegar. However, it’s not necessary for this ferment.
- There probably won’t be much liquid right after packing the salsa into the jar. However, the tomatoes will release plenty of liquid, so there’s no need to add any water. Use a weight, which will help press the liquid out of the tomatoes and keep the vegetables below the brine.
- Cover the jar to prevent fruit flies from getting in, and leave it to ferment somewhere cool and dark for 2 to 3 days.
- After fermentation, there will be a lot of liquid. Either drain it off before serving or stir in some tomato paste to thicken it. Store the salsa in the refrigerator and use within 4 weeks.
- See the section above for packing salsa for long-term storage.
Notes
- I usually do all my fermenting in a fido jar
, however, I really like fermenting salsa in small mason jars for easy serving, just use a smaller jam jar as a weight. Here’s a post about choosing what type of jar to use for fermenting.
- Salsa will naturally ferment with just salt. However, sometimes it’s nice to have the tanginess of cider vinegar or kombucha. Feel free to add 2 Tbsp of cider vinegar with a mother or unflavored kombucha.
Keywords: fresh salsa, vegan, gluten free, keto, paleo, whole 30, sugar free, probiotic
We’re converted. The extra tang of the fermentation really adds a lots to our weekly taco night!
★★★★★
Great!