Food - News
Mistakes Everyone Makes When Making Homemade Salsa
By STEVEN LUNA
Wrong Tomatoes
Per The Pioneer Woman website, Roma tomatoes are used for a restaurant-style salsa — or salsa roja — and sturdy beefsteak tomatoes are used for pico de gallo — or salsa fresca. As for growing your own tomatoes for salsa, try San Marzano, Juliet grape-style, and Amish Paste tomatoes.
Tomato Seeds
As Pure Wow puts it, tomato seeds are “the culprits that make your dish extra gooey and watery, which can ruin the consistency of the recipe." The easiest way to remove the seeds is to cut the tomato into quarters and scoop out the centers with a spoon.
Wrong Onions
Red or white onions are best for salsas of all types since they do well as raw ingredients, adding flavor and a bit of a kick without overpowering or getting lost in the blend. A few snips of green onions as garnish in a bowl of both salsa fresca and salsa roja are always a welcome addition.
Too Watery
Tomatoes are the obvious offenders when it comes to excess liquid in your salsa, although some amount of juice at the bottom of your bowl is normal. If your tomatoes are too watery, drain them overnight, and if your salsa is still thin after mixing, add avocado to thicken it up.
Wrong Amount of Acid
Tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, and citrus all impact the overall acidity of your salsa, with some recipes even calling for vinegar. Limit the acidity by using ripe tomatoes, adding citrus in moderation or none at all, avoiding vinegar, or adding a sugary ingredient like mango.