Authentic Mexican Style Salsa

This is my most requested recipe from family and friends.  It even brought home the grand prize in the church salsa contest once. Everyone loves this salsa, and I know your family and friends will too.   

Over the years, I have made several adjustments to make the recipe my own but the base of this recipe the same as my mother-in-law’s. 

Here are a few important tricks and noteworthy mentions to making the perfect salsa:

• Always use ripe tomatoes full of flavor.  Home grown garden tomatoes are the very best.  Roadside farm stand tomatoes are an excellent choice as well.  If you can’t get either of those options, store-bought tomatoes work. Just be sure to select tomatoes that are ripe.  Vine-ripened organic tomatoes have worked well for me in a pinch.  
• Once you have selected your tomatoes, you’ll want to remove the locules (seed pods).  The locules are the seeds and gel-like substance around the seeds inside the tomato.  There’s no flavor in this part of the tomato and leaving it in will cause the salsa to be extra watery.  It’s acceptable to leave them in if you like your salsa on the watery side but my family prefers to have them removed.  It’s a quick and easy process and well worth taking a few extra seconds to remove them.
• Even when you removed the locules from the tomatoes, it is perfectly normal for the liquid to separate in the final product.  Just give it a quick stir right before serving. 
• I use a food processor for this recipe.  It works great for me because the bowl is larger, and the ingredients are free to move about the container giving me the consistency I’m looking for.  If you don’t have a food processor, it’s okay.  My mother-in-law uses a standard blender when she makes salsa.  I do recommend if you use a blender, it would be helpful to go ahead and leave all or most of the locules in the tomatoes.  A standard blender needs the extra liquid to move the mixture throughout the container as it’s blending. Just remember your final product will be waterier.
• Don’t skip the first step, boil the serrano peppers!  This is a key secret to level up your salsa making experience.
• There’s no right or wrong when making salsa.  Measurements don’t have to be exact.  Adjust the ingredients and amounts to your taste.  The only times I measured my ingredients for this salsa was when I was developing this recipe for you. This is such a fun, quick and easy salsa to make. Relax and enjoy the experience of making this fresh, delicious, authentic tradition.

Okay, now that I’ve share all my salsa secrets with you let’s get started on the step-by-step instructions.

Ingredients you will need include:

1-2 serrano peppers (1 for mild salsa, 2 for hot salsa)

2 medium tomatoes (locules or seed pod removed)

3 oz of tomato paste

½ medium white onion (115 g)

1 large garlic clove or 2 smaller ones

¾ bunch of cilantros (35 g)

½ tsp salt (or to taste)

¼ tsp pepper (or to taste)

Step 1:

Start by filling a saucepan half-way with room temperature water.  Wash 1-2 fresh serrano peppers and add to water.  Bring to boil over medium-high heat.  Many salsa recipes use jalapeño peppers.  If that’s what you have on hand, it’s okay to use them but boiled serrano peppers give this salsa a distinct flavor that will have your guests asking for more. 

• Why boil the serrano peppers?

The quick answer to this is flavor!  Boiling the serranos softens their texture, enhancing the pepper’s natural flavor while mellowing its heat.  The process allows the serranos to blend seamlessly throughout the salsa, providing a rich and consistent flavor with every bite.

The serrano peppers start off a bright green.  You will know they are done when they turn a lighter pale green.  It usually takes about 10 minutes.  I put my peppers on the stove and let them boil while I prepare the rest of my ingredients.

Step 2: 

Wash tomatoes and remove the core.  Cut tomato in quarters and remove the locules or seed pods.  I do this by placing my finger under the seeds and squeezing them out.  Then discard. Place tomato quarters in food processor.

Step 3:

Add 3 ounces of tomato paste to food processor. I buy a 6 ounce can of organic tomato paste and scoop out about ½ the can. I save the rest for another recipe.  Usually, Mexican rice.

Step 4:

Cut a medium onion in half.  Remove the papery outer layer and cut in to 3 or 4 smaller chunks.  Add to food processor.  I rarely measure exactly but for a point of refence you’ll have about 115 grams of onion total.

Step 5:

Remove outer layer of garlic.  Trim the end and add to food processors. One larger garlic clove is perfect.  If the cloves are smaller, I will add two.

Step 6:

Wash cilantro thoroughly.  Shake excess water off and pat dry with a towel. I like to trim the long thicker part of the stems off.  This is not completely necessary if you are using a food processor.  Add ¾ of a bunch to the food processor.  You will have approximately 35 grams total of cilantro.

Step 7:
By this time your serrano peppers should be done boiling. Remove from heat.  Trim the stems off and add to your food processor.  I use one serrano for mild salsa and two for hot salsa.  I’ve added more than two before when my husband asked for it extra hot!  He ate it.  I did not! You should also know that smaller peppers are generally hotter than the larger ones.

Step 8:

Salt and pepper to taste.  I use ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. When adding salt take into consideration how you are serving the salsa in the end.  If you are serving with salty tortilla chips, be sure not to over salt your salsa.

Step 9:

Close the lid on your food process and pulse salsa.  Scrape the sides of bowl and pulse again until desired consistency. 

Step 10:

Watch out for eager onlookers ready to devour your fresh salsa!  The enticing aroma of boiling serranos will quickly alert everyone in the household.  They’ll be able to sense when the salsa-making process is complete, eagerly awaiting with tortilla chips in hand for that first delicious taste.