Want lower acid, tastier, healthier salsa? Make it yourself

Salsa is an important commodity in our culture. Much to my surprise, I read a while back that it is the most popular condiment in the US, more than even ketchup. The choices at the average supermarket are overwhelming; not only are many familiar brands in the game, there are a half dozen small company creations to choose from as well.

Shopping for salsa is an adventure, one that I used to enjoy, until I had reflux problems. Now I have to be careful about about acidic foods. Tomatoes, of course, are quite acidic, and people suffering from reflux complications are told to not eat them. I am a fanatical salsa lover, however, and I have refused to give it up. Imagine my surprise when I started reading labels at the store and discovered pre-made jars of this already quite acidic condiment frequently come laced with citric acid,  benzoic acid, or ascorbic acid.  On top of this many salsas already have vinegar or lime juice in the recipe. So, what is the deal?

Of course, citric acid is basically lemon juice. It and vinegar have been added to foods for centuries in order to preserve them. Thanks to modern food preparation methods, these really aren't necessary for preservation. Turns out they are frequently added to stabilize food colors. That's seems like a steep price for reflux suffers to pay just so the tomatoes stay red. What if you can't find a salsa that has no added acids? You do what you should already be doing, anyway- make it yourself!

This is what you'll need to make your own. After you've tasted it, you'll never go back to the salsa aisle. Grab six tomatoes- yellow are lower in acid, but I prefer the rich flavor of red- and even though it's higher in acid, the end product will still be much less acidic than the store-bought stuff. Bring some water to boil for blanching. At the same time dice a white onion and 2-3 garlic cloves. Let them sit out for at least 10 minutes before adding them to anything, in order to enhance the garlic's health benefits. Also while the water is heating, turn on the broiler and pop in the peppers/chiles.

The tomatoes will start to look wrinkled after five minutes or so. Drain them in a colander and pull the loose bits of skin off with tongs. Throw them back in the pot whole- yes, whole!- and bring them back up to a low boil. As they cook, they will disintegrate. you can remove the parts where the stems connect if you want with scissors or a knife.

Check the peppers- you want them to be mostly black on the top. Turn them a few times to get them good and charred. Remove from the oven and put them in ice water. Pick of the black bits with the tongs. I find the easiest way to deseed charred peppers is simply stick your finger in them right there in the water, pull them apart and run your finger along their insides to remove the seeds. Once they are all clean, dice them and toss them in the pot. By now the tomatoes are disintegrating. I like my salsa to be a little sweet in order to bring out the natural flavors. One great way to do this is with fruit. So to mine, in went a cup of frozen diced mango. Add the onions and garlic, then some spices- I used paprika, a very small amount of chipotle powder, some oregano and thyme, and some white pepper- not much of any of these, a 1/2 tsp or less.

I don't like the onions and garlic to be super-cooked in salsa, so this should go maybe another five minutes. Cook longer if you aren't like me. (Also, for the sensitive stomach, longer cooking makes it less irritating. ) Break up the tomatoes as you go along. When it's looking pretty homogenous in texture, toss it in a food processor or blender with a big bunch of cilantro. at this point I test for seasoning and add salt to taste and a tablespoon of sugar. I prefer brown just because the molasses adds some iron. Sugar also reduces the acidity some. If you don't have a food processor, then chop the cilantro finely, mash the tomato mix with a potato masher or whisk, then combine.

Use short pulses- the idea is to get the texture uniform, not to pulverize it. Unless you need your salsa to be smooth; in that case, ignore me and keep on blending until it's the texture you like. Hey, did you notice no oil was used in the making of this sauce? At this point I like to add some olive oil and cracked black pepper, but that's just me. If you are going non-fat, oil is not needed at all. And there you have it. Put it in mason jars while it's still hot and fill close to the top. It's not an official seal, but it will last longer unopened than using a regular jar. Disfrutar!