I made this recipe last year with the tomatoes that I was harvesting from my garden. This year, time got away from me and I have to get all my veggies from the Farmers Market. I made my first visit, ever, this past weekend. I visited a stand that was selling “canning tomatoes” which means that they are not pretty. Considering I peel and deseed my own tomatoes for this recipe, it was no big deal! A whole box, which was about 23lbs of tomatoes for $12!!
Fermenting salsa has 2 awesome benefits.
- The fermenting process loads it up with probiotics, good for the gut and overall health
- Extends the life of the product. The salsa will last several months in the fridge!
Here is the basic recipe:
- 3-4 tomatoes peeled and deseeded
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 2 tbsp of whey or sauerkraut juice (you can also use 2 tbsp of sea salt if you don’t have either)
- sea salt to taste
- cayenne pepper to taste (I add enough to get a slight tinge at the back of my throat at the end when tasting, knowing that the flavors will intensify)
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- Filtered water if you want a thinner consistency
After peeling and deseeding the tomatoes, I throw them into the food processor to chopped them up. I dump those into a bowl. Next, I throw the yellow onion (peeled and quartered), garlic, cilantro (with the tough stems removed) into the food processor and chopped it all up nice and small. Add that mixture into the bowl. Next, add the whey or sauerkraut juice, lime juice, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir and taste!
When you are happy with the taste, again taking into consideration that the flavors will intensify just like chili is better the next day, transfer the salsa to a quart sized mason jar. If you want a thinner consistency you can add the water here. Just make sure to shake it up a bit to blend it through. Leave about an inch space between the top of the salsa and the lid. Cover, let it sit on the counter for 2-3 days. After that its ready! Store in the refrigerator, it will keep for several months.
Last year, I made about 4 quarts and they only lasted until February because it was that tasty! I used it with chips and as a healthy, yummy addition to scrambled eggs!
Credits: I used these two recipes as inspiration:
- http://www.cheeseslave.com/lacto-fermented-salsa/
- http://www.thepolivkafamily.com/2013/07/totally-rad-fermented-salsa/