Because this is the height of tomato season in our area, I have passed this recipe on to several friends and family members. It’s delicious and requires minimal preparation!

Fermented salsa means you will NOT be canning this batch of goodness. A ferment, as I have mentioned before, helps aid our gut health. We need lots of good gut flora inside of us keeping the bad bacteria at bay. When we eat fermented foods, we feed our gut flora!

Did you know that an unhealthy gut flora can also lead to recurring sinus infections? Not to mention other types of infections. Earlier in my adult life I was prone to chronic UTIs. This meant many rounds of antibiotics. Because of this, my gut was not balanced.

Thankfully, eating ferments has helped aid my gut health. This recipe is one of many we keep in rotation at our table. I seek to serve ferments 2-3 times per day, although sometimes this number is more or less.

FERMENTED SALSA

(recipe tweaked from an original by The Elliott Homestead)

• 6 lbs of tomatoes
• 1 lb onion, peeled
• 1 lb bell peppers, take out core and seeds
• 12 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 banana peppers, take out seeds
• 4 Tbsp sea salt (not table salt)
• 1 Tbsp cumin

Chop, process, or mince veggies to desired consistency. I put things into a food processor in stages so they chop evenly (see jars in photo above). Add to large bowl. Add salt and cumin (this large amount of salt is needed for proper fermentation). Stir well. Add salsa to jars, leaving 1.5″ headspace. I like wide mouth quart jars as they don’t take up as much space in the fridge as pints. I also use plastic lids when available. Let salsa sit on the counter for 3 days. During that time, “burp” jars a few times to let the gases escape. Store in fridge. Wait one month before eating to avoid an overly salty flavor. Enjoy!

There you have it! How simple! No canning and the taste of fresh salsa all year long! We are enjoying our last jar from 2023. This salsa is perfect for chips, tacos, chilis, etc. If you add it to hot dishes, it will lose its fermentation benefits. So, I will often just layer it on top of the lettuce and cheese in taco salad. I do add it to southwestern stew. It will no longer be a ferment, but the flavor is amazing.

Let me know if you try it! Please subscribe to my blog for new posts weekly!