Fermented Salsa, Yes please!
I love making fermented salsa. It is a quick and easy, and a delicious way to include the benefits of fermented food in your diet. Particularly if you don't care for the standard fermented foods- it's not just all about krauts and kimchi! Salsa, chutneys, pickles, etc are all simple (and sneaky?) ways to get those beneficial probiotics into your meals
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Ferments are easy to make, but can be intimidating. A simple recipe like this is a good way to get started and have a quick turn around to build your confidence in fermenting. A few important things to remember about fermenting as you get started, is that all vegetables must be submerged beneath the brine at all times. A larger piece of vegetable can be used to hold it all down (but will likely get moldy on top), or preferably some kind of weight. I love using my Masontops Pickle Pebbles in my jars, and there are two sizes to fit wide or small mouth mason jars for small batch fermenting. They are glass weights with a little ridge for picking up and pulling out of the jar- brilliant!
The second thing to remember is burping your jar. Fermenting containers should be covered so stuff doesn't grow, but if the far is sealed closed you will need to open it daily to allow the gas to release (or your jar could break). This is called burping the jar. If you do not want to deal with regular burping (but I promise you, you will be watching it daily out of sheer interest awe), you can use air locks for the top or Masontops pickle pipe. Both allow gases to be released but no air inside.
Other than that, clean hands and work surfaces should be maintained, especially when taste testing from the jar, and use the freshest ingredients you can from the beginning. We love putting to use our veggies grown in the yard, but don't think you need to have that in order to get started. Produce from the grocery store will work just fine- just make sure it looks like good quality and not old.
I would love to hear if you give this recipe a try!
Fermented Salsa
(this specific recipe from the Elliot Homestead but you can try many different ratios! most important is the salt brine. The recipe can be easily doubled for larger amounts, or halved for smaller batches. Also, I omit the cilantro since my family hates it)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds tomatoes (such as Roma)
- 1/2 pound onions
- 1/2 pound bell pepper (or pepper of choice)
- 1 cups cilantro, minced
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 chilies or jalepenos
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 tbsp cumin
INSTRUCTIONS
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Chop the tomatoes into large chunks and remove the stems. Add some of the pieces to a food processor and pulse to the desired texture. Repeat with the remaining batches of tomatoes. Add them all to a large bowl.
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Peel and chop the onions into large pieces. Add the pieces to the food processor and pulse to the desired texture. Add the onions to the large bowl.
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Remove the stem from the peppers and chilis. Chop them into large pieces. Add the pieces to the food processor and pulse to the desired texture. Add to the bowl.
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Add the cilantro, garlic, sea salt, and cumin to the bowl. Stir well to combine.
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Add the salsa to a clean, glass jar with a non metallic lid. Fill the jar to 1 ½” of the top. Let the salsa sit at room temperature for 3 days. During that time, you may need to untwist the lid “burp” the salsa a few times to allow the gases to escape.
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Store the salsa in a refrigerator and enjoy!