Add some tang beneficial bacteria when you make easy fermented tomato salsa! Adjust the spice to your liking when you vary the hot peppers.
We love to enjoy fermented foods. They are super beneficial to your gut, but cost quite a bit in the store! It's so easy to make ferments right on your kitchen counter top. Most people think of Raw Herbal Sauerkraut, but you can of course do kimchi and other delicious items.
Start your family small, just add a quick tablespoon to the top of their dish. Bribe them with chips or add this salsa to your favourite tacos. Our kids have gotten used to it quickly, but even if you don't love it, it's very easy to eat a bite of this and carry on with the main meal. Even DIY Yogurt is a fermented recipe - so start there if you're a bit wary of the whole process!
Key Ingredients
Tomatoes - Whatever the garden or farmer's market has will do well.
Peppers - I mix bell pepper and jalapeño, but you can easily use any colour pepper as well as upgrade to a poblano or something else hotter as desired.
Onion and Garlic - Just the right bite!
Cilantro - No cilantro haters in this house! Yes, you can leave it out or swap to parsley or use it as garnish instead of mixed in.
How to Make Easy Fermented Tomato Salsa
***See recipe card below for precise measurements and instructions.***
Step 1: Add peppers, onion, and garlic to a food processor.
Step 2: Blitz until finely chopped.
Step 3: Add remaining ingredients.
Step 4: Blend to desired consistency.
Step 5: Ladle into clean canning jars.
Step 6: Use a pickle pipe or any other lid that lets you "burp" your jar.
FAQs
We do about 3-4 days. Watch for bubbles to slow down and you can also give it a taste to see where it's at. When it's as you like, add a sealing lid and pop it in the fridge. The cold will slow down the fermentation so it doesn't get too sour as you eat it. It won't completely stop the bugs but will keep things from getting out of hand. When fermenting, keep the jar on a plate or tray in case it overflows.
A pickle pipe is a really nice piece of convenience equipment if you are going to do a lot of fermenting. This silicone lid has a one-way valve of sorts in it, allowing built up gas to escape on its own as the bacteria ferments. You can also get away with a ring and lid, not tightened, and allowing gas to escape 1-2 times a day. Try a coffee filter or a few layers of cheese cloth with the lid ring or a rubber band. You want to keep anything from falling in the jar while also allowing gas to escape.
We use a jalapeño, which none of us finds spicy. Keep the seeds and membranes in if you like it hotter. You can also easily change up the heat level by using poblano, habanero, or any other truly hot pepper. Feel free to mix and match and use different colours of bell peppers, too. The joy of making your own food is to truly customize it to your liking, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
Photos by Megan Hampton
More Appetizer Recipes
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Fermented Tomato Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 pounds grape tomatoes or other tomatoes
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Peel the garlic, peel and rough chop the onion. Slice the jalapeño and discard seeds and membranes if desired. Add all to a food processor.
- Process/blend until finely diced.
- Cut grape tomatoes in half or rough chop any larger tomatoes. You can chop off some of the cilantro stems if desired. Add both to the food processor with the salt.
- Pulse until desired consistency is reached. You can do chunky or smooth! If you really like chunks you can even hold some ingredients back from the processor and stir in at the end.
- Add to a half gallon jar or two quart jars. Make sure to leave a decent amount of headspace.
- Let rest on counter, loosely covered, for 3-4 days or until the taste is to your liking. Make sure burp the gases!
- Move to the fridge when ready to eat, and it will keep for months.
Notes
- You can use a pickle pipe if you do a lot of fermentation, or use cheesecloth or a coffee filter with a rubber band.
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