Quick and Simple Cherry Salsa Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can I substitute vinegar for lemon juice in salsa? ›

Lemon juice is more acidic than vinegar and has less effect on flavor. You can safely substitute an equal amount of bottled lemon juice for vinegar in salsa recipes using vinegar. However, do not substitute vinegar for lemon juice because this would reduce acidity and produce an unsafe product.

In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, diced red onion, minced jalapeño pepper, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the salsa is too thick, add some of the reserved tomato juice to thin it out.

Chop tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces; transfer to a medium bowl. Add onion, chile, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice; season generously with salt. Mix to combine. Let stand 15 minutes to develop flavor.

All great salsa need a hit of acidity to lighten and brighten their flavors. Perry and Damuck like lime juice (skip the zest; it's too perfume-y), plain white vinegar, or red wine vinegar, which is a nice match for the tomatoes. Avoid vinegars with overly bossy or clashing flavors, like balsamic and apple cider.

Basic, white vinegar

Unlike apple cider and balsamic vinegar, which can crush the other flavors of this recipe, white vinegar doesn't try and upstage the tomatoes in your salsa. In fact, the right vinegar will help you taste all of the other flavors of your salsa, and highlight those that it counters.

If you prefer a really thick salsa, drain the liquid in the can of whole tomatoes (personally I would drain it into a container, rather than down the drain). Then process the salsa as directed and add back some of the liquid from the can, a little at a time, until you have the consistency you're looking for.

Cook the salsa, and you'll trade bright, fresh flavors for something deeper, sweeter. Roasting the tomatoes, garlic and/or chiles creates rich, smoky flavors.

Once the salsa is ready, pour hot salsa into clean hot pint canning jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rim and cap each jar as it is filled. Process jars for 40 minutes* in boiling water bath canner. Turn off heat, carefully remove canner lid, and let jars stand for 5 minutes in canner.

The advantage of leaving them on is you save time and can make a salsa relatively quickly. But if you're making a thinner salsa, there is an advantage to not having the skin included as it impacts texture. A popular way to remove tomato or tomatillo skins is to fire roast them and then steam the skins off.

How much vinegar do I put in a gallon of salsa? ›

on jars during processing, add ¼ cup vinegar per gallon of water used in the canner. Select tomatoes, peppers, spices, and onions. Always use fresh, firm, ripe tomatoes.

Salsa is traced back to the times of the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans. The native people created their own versions of salsa using tomatoes, chilies, and squash seeds, however “official discovery” to the rest of the world did not occur until after the Spaniards conquered Mexico in the 1500s.

A unique blend of fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice contributes to the vibrant, lively taste of restaurant-style salsa.

You'll save money by making your own salsa, especially if you can pull the vegetables from your own garden. It can be much cheaper to make salsa yourself, and homemade salsa is generally healthier than most of the sugary varieties you'll find in stores.

Vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and rice vinegar can all be substituted at a ½:1 ratio. If your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then, sub 1 tablespoon vinegar and replace the rest with water if needed. Usually you won't need to add any extra liquid but it depends on the recipe.

Lemon juice is less acidic than white vinegar, so when substituting, you may need to use less vinegar to avoid making the dish overly tart. A common rule of thumb is to use about half the amount of vinegar compared to lemon juice.

You CAN substitute some of the vinegar for bottled lemon or lime juice (this will affect the overall flavor). DO NOT USE FRESH LEMON OR LIME JUICE; it is not acidic enough. Dried spices won't affect pH, so you can also experiment with those, but the amount of vegetables and tomatoes and acidity need to stay the same.