salsa consistency

[karrsic]

I love "fresh deli" salsa (as opposed to jar brands) that tastes like the ingredients were blended 15 minutes before you picked it up. I have a recipe I like to play around with, but I never get the consistency of the sauce I seek.

The well-blended tomato sauce is a bit lumpy, especially after a day or so (refrigerated, of course). Interestingly, my tomato-based pasta sauces never have this problem.

Does cooking the tomato sauce eliminate the lumpiness? Do the "fresh deli" salsas cook their tomato sauce prior to blending with onions, cilantro, etc?

Thanks for any thoughts!

[lvdkeyes]

Fresh salsa should not be cooked or blended. Just chop the ingredients by hand and stir together.

[Kitchen Witch]

It also depends on the type of toomatoes used - some have more seeds/water content than others. You can make your salsa as chunky as you want. If you think it is too lumpy - try cutting the tomato smaller. And like lvdkeyes said - don't cook it.

[karrsic]

Thanks for the replies, though I don't think I've asked my question very well. I am speaking about a tomato sauce based salsa, as opposed to a salsa with diced tomatoes. Not sure how else to explain, other than if you go to a Mexican restaurant, it's likely their salsa doesn't have diced tomatoes, but rather a sauce with diced onions, cilantro, etc.

This is why I described the analogous pasta sauce.

So if one understands the type of sauce, I'm trying to describe, the lumpiness isn't caused by chunks of tomatoes. It's more like a congealingand especially occurs after refrigeration.

[Kitchen Witch]

have you tried making it using tomato puree or tomato paste??

[Kitchen Witch]

would this sound close?

Taco Bell Hot Taco Sauce
Yield: 3 1/2 cups

6 oz Tomato paste can
3 c Water
2 t Cayenne pepper
1 1/2 T Chilli powder
2 1/2 t Salt
2 t Cornstarch
2 t Distilled white vinegar
1 T Minced dried onion
2 T Canned jalapeno slices ("nacho slices")

Combine tomato paste with water in saucepan over medium heat. Stir until smooth. Add cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt, cornstarch, vinegar, and dried onion and stir. Chop jalapeno slices very fine. You can use a food processor, but don't puree. The best kind of jalapenos to use are those bottled for nachos or pizza. Add them to mixture. Heat mixture to boiling. Continue to stir about 3 minutes and remove from heat. Let sauce stand until cool, and then put in a tightly sealed container and refrigerate. This will last for 1 to 2 months. Makes 3 1/2 Cups.

[karrsic]

Now you're talking! Thanks! I have my own recipe, but have never used paste instead of sauce. Interesting that they do in fact heat it.

From a cooking philosophy, why does one choose paste over sauce? What are the advantages? Does the heating of the sauce make it smoother?

[Kitchen Witch]

paste is more concentrated than sauce is -

from my notes:

TOMATO PASTE, TOMATO PUREE AND TOMATO SAUCE



PURCHASING
*Tomato paste: A deep red, richly flavored concentrate that’s made of tomatoes that have been cooked for several hours, strained and reduced. It’s available in cans or tubes.

* Tomato puree: A thick, rich mixture made of tomatoes that have been cooked briefly and strained. It’s available in cans.

* Tomato sauce: This is a slightly thinner tomato puree. Some styles are seasoned so that the sauce is ready to add to soups, sauces and other preparations.

EQUIVALENTS
* Tomato paste: 4 1/2-ounce tube = 5 tablespoons
* Tomato puree: 1 cup = 1/2 cup tomato paste plus water to equal 1 cup
* Tomato sauce: 1 cup = 3/8 cup tomato paste plus water to equal 1 cup

USING
* When a recipe calls for tomato paste and all you have is tomato sauce, for each tablespoon of tomato paste, add 1/2 cup tomato sauce and reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup.

* The next time you need a small amount of tomato paste, buy it in a tube instead of a can. Because so little of the tubed paste is exposed to the air, it can be tightly sealed and refrigerated for up to 1 year.

* To freeze leftover tomato paste: Line a pie pan with plastic wrap. Place level tablespoons of paste at 1-inch intervals on the plastic wrap. Freeze, uncovered, until solid. Fold over the edges of the plastic wrap to cover the tomato paste, place the contents in a plastic bag and freeze until ready to use. The tablespoons of frozen paste can be dropped right into hot mixtures like soups and sauces.

* Use a dab of tomato paste to enliven flat-flavored soups or sauces.


Enjoy!

[karrsic]

Great info. Thanks!

[Kitchen Witch]

You're very welcomed! I hope your salsa turns out the way you want it!