12 July 2013

Tart Cherry Salsa

This is one of those times where I had a dish in mind, and some internet perusing for a recipe netted nothing (I'm not saying it's not out there - I didn't look very hard, but most search engines tend to assume that when you want a tart cherry tomato salsa, you're looking for a salsa made from cherry tomatoes).
A good cherry salsa recipe has been on my radar ever since a trip up to Glen Arbor's Cherry Republic, where I had tasted some of their cherry products ranging from sweet to savory.
My recipe is vaguely reminiscent of this one, which is actually from the Cherry Republic (that was just a happy accident, although in retrospect maybe I should have started there).  I wanted a cooked salsa that included tomatoes.  They use cherry jam in this recipe and I just went straight for the cherries, so I'm sure the recipe I linked to is a much sweeter recipe, while the one below is a savory, spicy salsa.

Tart Cherry Tomato Salsa
Ingredients:
  • 2 c. tart cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
  • 2 c. roma tomatoes, chopped (3 to 4 tomatoes)
  • 2 jalapenos, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbs chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 to 4 tbs cornstarch
  • zest and juice from 1 lime

Instructions:
1.  Mix everything except for the lime and corn starch in a medium sauce pan.  Bring it to a boil, then turn it down to simmer.
2.  Gently add the cornstarch, stirring to remove any lumps.  Simmer for 5 minutes.
3.  Let cool.  Mix in the lime zest and juice.

Note1:  Since it was cooked, the jalapenos did not overwhelm everything with heat.  That being said, if you don't like it spicy, either remove the pith and seeds from the jalapenos, or choose a mild pepper to add instead.
Note2:  I wanted this to be a thick salsa.  If you want a thinner salsa, then by all means omit or reduce the cornstarch.
This salsa was really great with some blue corn tortilla chips.  It was even better with the recipe I'll be posting next Friday :)

3 comments:

  1. This sounds like what I am looking for . However, can you can this recipe?

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    Replies
    1. I'm sorry to say that I really don't know! I usually head to pickyourown.org for my canning questions, and it looks like cherries can be done in a water bath canner, so I would feel comfortable processing these in a water bath canner just like normal salsa.

      However since this is the internet I need to add that I am not an expert, so if you follow my advice, you do so at your own risk. :)

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    2. You can can this recipe with some adaptations. You need to not use Cornstarch but use Clear Jel for the thickener. I would also add 1/4 cup of bottled lime juice and not just the lime itself. It needs that extra acidity. Fill to 1/2" headspace and process in a water bath for 15 minutes for half pints and 20 minutes for pints.

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