Hey everyone! So I’ve been going back and forth in my head on trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong when it comes to making a tomato based salsa (Rojas/Rojo salsa? Sorry not trying to butcher the proper wording) I’ve used the generic tomatoes you get at the store (4 pack tomatoes) and will use habanero peppers, or jalapeño peppers with the stuff I normally use in my verde salsa and which is garlic, white onion, cilantro, lime juice and when I put it in the food processor, it always comes put more like a “sauce” than a salsa. Can you all give me either a breakdown of how you make a simple salsa, or maybe some examples of how you approached making your first successful red salsa?
by musknasty84
9 Comments
I put my roasted ingredients in a blender and pulse to desired consistency. I think you should try just changing your tool.
Sometimes I will dice my onions and cilantro and add them in after the rest is blended. Just make sure it’s small enough so its not overpowering
If you want a chunkier salsa, you can use a dicer rather than a blender, or a combination of the two. A food processor will give you a saucier consistency.
I personally just use a Ninja blender and pulse in short bursts.
Try using a food mill on the tomatoes
You could try to blend all the ingredients except tomato and then do the tomatoes last. I saw a tiktok saying this would minimize the whipping of the pectins in the tomatoes that produce a jammy consistency.
I use Roma tomatoes. The ones that are sorta oval shaped. You may also have luck using canned. Drain the tomato juice first.
So try:
All fresh. 5 tomatoes. Half an onion. 1-2 cloves garlic. A few jalapeños. 1-2 habaneros. Experiment. Optional cilantro and salt to taste (probably more than you think.
Then try the same thing except roast some of the ingredients. Roasted garlic is way different. Sometimes I use fresh tomatoes and roasted peppers/onion/garlic. It’s fun to experiment. Try with and without tomato skins.
Then try swapping out fresh tomatoes for canned.
Try serranos. Try arbols. Have fun!!
Update: I made cold salsa using tomatoes, onions jalapeños cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and cumin. I’m probably missing something but so far so good
I cut the tomatoes in half and scoop the seeds & liquid out. It helps a lot to thicken it. I also like to roast them for a bit as well.
This is my go to recipe for my salsa. I roast the onions, peppers, and tomatoes under the broiler till some char forms:
2 roma tomatoes
1/4 white onion
4 serranos
2 jalapenos
4 cloves of garlic (I prefer the raw garlic flavor personally)
Salt
Pepper
Knorr Caldo de Pollo
1 can of El Pato Hot Tomato Sauce
Cilantro
Juice from 1 lime
Throw it all in a blender and put the blender on it’s lowest setting. I like a very pepper forward salsa.