Roasted Red Jalapeño Salsa Recipe | Authentic Mexican Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you leave jalapeno seeds in salsa? ›

The seeds of the jalapeño and serrano are where most of the heat is. You can de-seed 1 or 2 peppers or keep more if you prefer very spicy. It's really up to your spice level preference! I usually keep all the seeds on 1 jalapeño and half the seeds of the serrano for a perfect kick.

Red jalapenos are usually spicier and sweeter, but there's nothing wrong with picking them green!

Cool Down Too-Spicy: Salsa

For red-based salsas, add more tomato, if possible, or add finely chopped cucumber, avocado, fresh leafy herbs, mango, melon or oranges. A touch of honey or sugar may also help.

Salsa is popular and versatile, is easy to make, and freezes well. Use it plain with chips or as a sauce for many Mexican dishes. The biggest issue in making good freezer salsa is being sure you have boiled off most of the tomato water; otherwise your salsa when thawed will be way too runny.

It is a common misconception that the seeds contain the Capsaicin that makes the pepper hot. While they may have some superficially, it actually stores the Capsaicin in the placenta (white pithy part). Remove that to lessen the heat. Be sure to wear rubber gloves!

You may want to remove jalapeño seeds to tame the heat in a recipe or for texture reasons. Interestingly, the seeds are not actually the spicy culprits that many people believe they are.

The older the pepper, and the more stress the plant has been under, the more white lines you'll see, and the hotter the pepper will be. The smoother the pepper, the younger, less stressed, and milder it is. Left on the plant (and even after picked) green jalapeños will eventually turn red.

Jalapeños are rich in vitamins A and C and potassium. They also have carotene -- an antioxidant that may help fight damage to your cells – as well as folate, vitamin K, and B vitamins. Many of their health benefits come from a compound called capsaicin. That's what makes the peppers spicy.

Chopped, uncooked hot peppers are most effective at making a raw salsa spicier. If you don't have access to hot peppers, try adding hot sauce or cayenne pepper.

Add Something Sweet To Make Salsa LESS Spicy

Adding a sweet ingredient can help counteract the heat and help to make salsa less spicy. But what? Start by adding a teaspoon of sugar to your hot salsa and mix it in thoroughly. Taste it and see if this has reduced the heat enough for you to eat the salsa.

Does vinegar make salsa less spicy? ›

Sprinkle in Some Acidity

The acidity from something like lime juice or vinegar can help tame the heat of a dish. Adding in some citrus is an easy and effective way to make your dishes more enjoyable, as it will not only balance out the spiciness but also give your dish a nice zesty flavor.

It's best to freeze your homemade sauce in resealable salsa containers or ziplock bags: separate your sauce into individual portion sizes and freeze the portions separately to make things easier when defrosting.

Jars with tapered sides or straight sides are freezer safe; shouldered jars are not.

Freezing salsa works best if you make cooked salsa, as opposed to pico de gallo which is uncooked. This is because fresh tomatoes have a lot of water in them, and when you thaw your salsa it will be watery and soggy which defeats the purpose of pico de gallo.

If you didn't remove the seeds, they will make the salsa extra watery, with a pool of vaguely tomato-flavored liquid at the bottom of your bowl. Nobody wants to scoop vaguely tomato-flavored liquid onto a chip.

Remove the Seeds and Membranes

The seeds and membranes of peppers contain most of the capsaicin, the compound responsible for the spiciness. So, if you want to reduce the heat in your salsa, make sure to remove these parts before chopping the peppers. Scrape out the seeds using a spoon and discard them.

Membranes and Seeds

But in sufficient quantities, chile seeds can be bitter and give a gritty texture to a finished hot sauce. Peppers with significant white pith can also make a sauce taste bitter. To remove this bitterness, it can be helpful to remove the seeds and pith before fermenting.

For a Milder Flavor, Remove the Seeds and Ribs

Using the paring knife, cut away the seeds and ribs from each pepper quarter. Capsaicin is concentrated in these areas; removing them lessens the heat. Of course, if you want a spicier dish, leave the seeds and membranes intact.