smoked salsa

[johnnyreb]

hey guys i need some salsa help

i use 4 whole tomatoes, 2 large red onions 3 bel peppers and 4 jalapeno's

i smoke them for an hour to an hour and a half and then blend it all together in a food processor

while it is good im looking for the consistency of store bought salsa, mine is just to watery, should i add some tomato sauce/paste?

 

[bwsmith_2000]

Crazyhorse,
First, let me say that your recipe looks great! I'm definitely going to try it. I don't have a good recommendation for thickening the salsa. The only thing I can think of is to heat it while adding some cream of tartar or just cooking it down. I understand the down side of that with the vegetables and softness etc. but I can't think of another way..... notwithstanding the tomato sauce/paste that you have already mentioned.

 

[dacdots]

Crazy,tomato paste is the trick to use,not only does it thicken your salsa but gives it a deeper flavor.You can use cornstarch mixed up in some cold water also,adding it to your salsa pot a little at a time,but I like the paste better.My wife and I have made gallons and gallons of salsa over the years.Give this a try,I think it will do the trick for you.David

 

[johnnyreb]

i added an 8oz can of tomato sauce to what i had left and thats what it was lacking !!!!! it will probably take 2 cans to the full recipe

thanks yall

 

[Dutch]

C.H. When I use whole tomatos, I discard the seeds and any liquids that's in the tomato.

 

[grinder]

^ +1. Cutting the onions, tomatoes and peppers in half and pre seeding them might cut down on cooking time and add to the surface area, for soaking up the smoke.

 

[icemn62]

I would open the tomatos, and peppers up, lose the seeds and the juice, low heat, good smoke, slice the onoins as well. use a grill basket/pan if need be, but it cuts down on the liuids in the finishd product, and everything get , in my opionin, a better smokey flavor.

 

[cheech]

CH did you ever try this with the tomato paste?

I may have to try this myself this looks great

 

[scott in kc]

I use roma's in my salsa most of the time which are great for consistency, but lack a bit in acidity. A dash of vinegar bumps the acidity up where I want it and really brightens the flavor.

Tomato paste and smoked anything added to the mix are both on my to do list now.
Maybe pureed dried tomatos instead of the paste, mmmm Can't wait to have enough extra ripe tomatos to try some of these ideas.

 

[icemn62]

Tried this yesterdayand it came out great. Made it to use on /with a pork loin I worked on, very tasty, today going to pick up some chips to have with my after work beer.

 

[grinder]

I've made lots of salsa over the years and can't wait to try your smoked salsa idea. I've tried lots of variations but, there are some ingrediants that I always come back to. Fresh, vine ripe tomatoes (seeded) are expensive but, well worth the cost. Garlic is a definate. I think I'll try putting some whole, peeled cloves on foil and smoking them, also. I like scallions (green onions), along with red onions or vadialias. Sometimes, I'll add sweet corn to the mix, that could be smoked as well. And, fresh, miced cilantro, is a must for salsa.

 

[grinder]

Fresh, squeezed lime juice, also works.

 

[q3131a]

I agree. Cut the tomatoes in half and give a gentle squeeze. Then shake to tomato over the sink to get rid of the seeds.

 

[xutfuzzy]

Did the salsa this weekend.

(1) I semi-quartered the onions (not all the way through, just enough to open them up and set a pat of butter in)
(2) lobbed off the top and seeded the bell peppers (one red, one yellow, one orange)
(3) seeded the jalapenos
(4) cut the roma tomatoes lengthwise, gently squeezed the extra juice out
(5) smoked for 1.5 hours
(6) chopped up in processer
(7) added cilantro and a little lime juice

Finally, I sat and watched the playoffs with the father-in-law and ate an awful lot of chips and salsa.

This was so simple to do, and quite easily one of the better salsas I've ever had. Thanks!

 

[arlsmoke]

Used this recipe to create some smoked salsa while the turkey is smoking today.
Added a mango to the recipe.
That is one good kickass salsa,

The fruit balances the heat and creates a salsa with depth, starts sweet and finishes hot.
I'm sure any large friuit, peach, pineapple would be great also!
:grilling_smilie:

 

[MarkM]

Smoke the tomatoes cut in half, flat side down on a wire rack with an aluminum pan underneath. It will catch the liquid which you can use for some great flavor in soups, stews, and sauces.

 

[arlsmoke]

Re thickening sauce. I have found that commercial sauce/salsas use various binders to achieve a consistent viscosity.
That, the high fructose and preservatives is why I started making my own sauces and salsas.

It is very difficult if not impossible to manufacture and distribute an all natural salsa/sauce today at scale while meeting all the food safety regulations and shelf life requirements necessary to market it.