Title says it all. I had a bumper crop of late-season habaneros and tomatoes, and I used the first habanero recipe I found here: Habanero Cremosa. I only realized when I got to the "emulsify" stage that this is not salsa as I know it, but something entirely different. I stuck with the recipe linked here as closely as possible. I have just a few notes on my variations to the recipe, and then a question:
- sauteed the following in a 3-qt pot:
- 12 fresh-picked habaneros, sliced (erred on the low side due to fear of the heat intensity)
- 1 medium white onion (sliced)
- 3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
- added to pot and boiled until soft:
- 4 large, fresh-picked heirloom tomatoes, diced (instead of roma tomatoes)
- 2/3 T apple cider vinegar
- emulsified the above (hot), along with:
- 1 T fresh-picked oregano, chopped (standard variety, not Mexican oregano) instead of 1 tsp dried oregano and wish I'd chopped it finer because the blender didn't do a great job at breaking the leaves down (as you can see in the above photo)
- 2/3 cup avocado oil (instead of 1 2/3 cups "neutral oil – because I didn't really see the need for that much (and oil is high-calorie – 1 2/3 cups would be like 2200 calories)
- 1 T cornstarch, pre-mixed with 2/3 cup cold water (instead of 1 tsp xanthan; I used less water than recommended in the original recipe since I was using less oil)
Canning notes:
- The recipe made half a gallon. I canned 3 pints (processed in a water bath for 25 minutes; wasn't sure what the right approach was, so I went with the same process I use for canning applesauce and added 5 minutes).
- Since I used cornstarch (and also since this is presumably not a low-pH salsa), I put the canned salsa at the back of my refrigerator this morning (after cooling and sealing overnight). Seems that these should last at least 3 months.
Now my question: This is clearly not a "chips-and-dip" salsa. What on earth am I supposed to use this for? I would love some ideas.
Edit: Reformatted as a recipe (based on moderator comment).
by valasandra
6 Comments
Bro it looks excellent 👌🏽 but you really don’t need to use cornstarch to thicken it. If your ratio of water to peppers, tomatoes and etc is right it will thicken by itself once you blend it and let it rest.
My abuelita would be having a stroke and rolling on her grave of she heard anyone adding cornstarch or xanthan gum to their salsa.
Looks delicious! Why not with chips?! Chicken enchiladas? Dipping sauce or topper for all things tacos or burritos.. sometimes if I have excess salsa or sauce, I add it to some kind of soup or chili. Topper for bowls with meat, rice, beans, potatoes, etc. Honestly probably would be good with some kind of Mac and cheese variant too. If you have a ton and are tired of eating it but don’t want to waste it, find your favorite way to use it, and gift it with the recipe to someone!
You might try using it in salad dressings. I like to make basic coleslaw and add ingredients like this for a spicy kick. Would probably be good in a bean dish too.
That could just be used in so many ways with tacos,burritos, bowls or just adding to a baked potato, etc.
Share with neighbors and convert them from neighbors to friends 😍
Sorry, couldn’t resist…