Summer salsa!

You knew I'd make this post eventually, didn't you?

There is nothing like the taste of fresh salsa! My kids have been waiting for enough ripe tomatoes to make our first batch all year long. Thankfully I planted enough tomato plants this year to keep us in salsa until next spring! Besides freezing our surplus, I'm also lactofermenting several quarts. I was a bit skeptical to do this initially thinking that it would affect the taste and the kids wouldn't eat it...boy was I wrong! Lactofermented salsa has absolutely NO taste difference once so ever. It is so full of probiotics, not to mention all the health benefits of the fresh, organic vegetables that go into it. Plus, by lactofermenting the salsa, it will keep for six months (maybe more) and still be as fresh as the day we bottled it! The probiotics and vegetable nutrients will not be destroyed like they would had I traditionally canned it.

In Texas, people eat salsa like most folks drink water.
We eat it on everything from scrambled eggs to pasta.

There is really no recipe to salsa, just make it to suit your taste.
I also have no measurements for this recipe as our tomato harvest varies by day.

LACTOFERMENTED SALSA

Core tomatoes and blanche in boiling water for a minute or two. Quickly place blanched tomatoes in ice water. This will make the skins easy to remove. Squeeze out seeds and excess water and puree in the food processor. Also puree/chop one red onion, at least two bell peppers, 3-4 cloves of garlic, and several jalapeno peppers (depending on how spicy you like your salsa to be!)
Add sea salt, pepper, cumin, lime juice, and a handful of fresh chopped cilantro to taste.

To lactoferment your salsa:

Ladle salsa into quart sized jars. Put 2-3 tablespoons of whey into each quart (to get whey, drain a good organic yogurt in cheesecloth) and stir to combine. Also, be sure to add a bit more sea salt (non-iodized) than usual. It helps to prevent decay until the good bacteria can take over.
Cap your jars and set on the counter for 2-3 days. Unscrew lids once a day to allow any gas to escape. Put your jars in the fridge, they will keep up to six months!