Fermented Salsa

I have a good friend.  Although we haven't seen each in a long, long time, Facebook and her website have allowed me to stay in touch.  She has beautiful flower and vegetable gardens.  She does enjoyable video tours of her gardens, she has a forum and she blogs.  The website is:  www.larksperennials.com

Recently Lark blogged a recipe for fermenting salsa.   I didn't have any tomatoes because I don't plant a vegetable garden, so I asked my daughter's mother in law.  She brought me a whole grocery bag full, plus some green peppers and squash.  It was so nice of them, and they even delivered it to our house.  I even had enough tomatoes left over to make four quarts of tomato juice/sauce with my pressure cooker and vitamix method.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2014/10/pressure-cooker-tomato-sauce-and.html 

Immediately I got the salsa ready to go.  Culturing all kinds of food is very popular.  Cultured foods provide probiotics which are the good kind of bacteria and healthy in your gut.   They help boost the immune system and make you feel better overall.  I have written several times about the kefir I make.  I have made kefir for over eight years.  Kefir is rich in probiotics.  Recently I blogged about making sauerkraut.  Sauerkraut is also full of probiotics.  http://www.thecabincountess.com/2015/06/making-sauerkraut-in-quart-jar.html 

FERMENTED SALSA RECIPE

3 pounds ripe tomatoes chopped
½ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup chopped onion
½ Jalapeno Pepper (with seeds) chopped or more if you like it spicier
1 cup chopped sweet bell pepper
2 tsps. minced garlic
2-3 tsps. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano or 3 tsp. chopped FRESH oregano
1 lime (juice from 1 lime)
½ cup WHEY
(Whey can be obtained by draining plain yogurt or kefir through a cheesecloth.  The clear liquid is whey.  For those who are lactose intolerant, there is mixed information about whether or not there is lactose in it.  Most information I have found says there is only a trace, but that may be more than some people can tolerate.  I have seen recipes eliminating the whey and the salsa will still ferment.)

I use a food processor for ½ of the ingredients, this will make a finer and juicer blend. Then I mix in by hand, the other ½ of the chopped mixture. It gives the salsa a CHUNKIER texture. Fill jars with salsa, leaving an inch of space at the top. Push down the veggies. Make sure there is enough liquid to cover all the veggies. Put cover on. This is important for the fermentation. Leave jars on the counter and cover the jar with a towel (darkness) for two days. You will notice little bubbles forming. This is normal. After the two days refrigerate. This salsa fermentation will keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.
NOTE: All seasonings are to your taste.

This salsa is excellent.  I didn't use a food processor and there was plenty of juice given off.  It isn't really sour from the fermentation, but has a bite to it.  It is sort of tangy and sour mixed together.  I used the Kraut Source contraption I mentioned in the sauerkraut blog, but it isn't necessary.  Just make sure the vegetables are under the liquid.