3 Easy Ways to Upgrade Store-Bought Salsa

3 Easy Ways to Upgrade Store-Bought Salsa

Here are a few easy ways to add some flair to even the most ordinary can or jar of salsa. Even if you don't have a lot of time, you can quickly add these enhancements to make your salsa spectacular!

UPGRADE #1: ADD FRESH FLAVOR
Good for: tomato-based salsas, pico de gallo, green (tomatillo-based) salsas, fruit salsas

Examples: minced fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice, diced plum tomato, diced cucumber, diced radish, diced onion

At the very least, a little fresh lime juice and some minced cilantro can wake up even the sleepiest of salsas, ushering back in the flavor of just-squeezed citrus and herbs that taste like they came from a living plant.

Beyond that, a crunchy raw vegetable or two never hurts. Post-canning, most of the chunks in a chunky salsa tend to be more pulpy than anything else, so an ingredient that adds some crispness back to the mix will do a lot to improve a product that's sat on a supermarket shelf for months. I like diced cucumber, radish, and onion in particular, but anything with some bite can work. A bit of juicy fresh plum tomato is another good choice.

UPGRADE #2: REDO THE ROAST
Good for: green (tomatillo-based) salsas, dried-chili salsas, bean-based salsas, tomato-based salsas

Examples: charred corn kernels; charred Poblano, bell, and chili peppers; roasted fruit

Heartier salsas often contain roasted ingredients, whether it's charred corn in a black-bean dip or blistered peppers in a chili- or tomatillo-based sauce. But by the time the jar makes it into your hands, those ingredients have often lost whatever deeply roasted flavor they once had.

Instead of building one of those salsas from scratch, you can roast just a single ingredient and stir it into the jarred product to enhance what's already there.

Or, try holding a single Poblano, bell, serrano, or jalapeño pepper over a gas flame (or throwing it under the broiler) until the skin blackens and flakes. Then put it in a bowl, cover with plastic, and let the pepper steam for a few minutes.

UPGRADE #3: RAID THE SPICE CABINET
Good for: dried-chili salsas, tomato-based salsas, bean-based salsas, fruit salsas

Examples: cumin, cinnamon, coriander seed, dried oregano

Ground dried spices can work wonders on mass-market salsas, introducing layers of complexity that the product developers probably never dreamed of. Cumin is an absolute natural, and works in just about any type of salsa you can imagine, from fresher, tomatoey dips to dark, brooding dried-chili ones. Sweet, warm spices like cinnamon can be surprisingly great in these, too. And dried herbs, especially Mexican oregano (or regular oregano, if you don't have the Mexican kind), can add a welcome, subtle woodsy fragrance.

The key in all instances is to start by adding small pinches, then tweak from there, since you don't want your salsa to end up tasting like a curry.

Wow! These suggestions sound great, and we can't wait to see how they jazz up plain ol' store-bought salsa. Have you ever tried any of these tips? What did you think of them? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Article Source: Serious Eats

 





2 Comments

  1. Hangry Boss
    Hangry Boss May 03, 21:30

    Will try it

    Reply to this comment
  2. Ellen Trakes
    Ellen Trakes June 08, 02:12

    Sandra LEE, lovedher show

    Reply to this comment

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