Fermented Salsa with Yellow Tomatoes
Make this mild fermented salsa with yellow tomatoes you grew in your own garden or bought at the farmer's market. Once fermented, it will keep for months in the fridge or in a cold room.
This past summer, I grew a yellow heritage tomato called "Wonderlight." I don't know why, but nearly every year find myself trying a new tomato variety in the gardens. Over time, I've discovered that I lean toward flavorful cherry tomatoes for fresh eating and paste tomato types for all my preserving efforts.
Paste or plum tomatoes have less juice and more flesh, which makes them perfect for home canned salsa, sauce and tomato puree. They're also delicious in fermented salsa as well.
I've grown many tomatoes in my lifetime. But I'd never grown a yellow paste tomato before. Until I tried the Wonderlight, that is. I haven't done any canning with these tomatoes yet, but I have made numerous batches of fermented salsa with them.
This recipe is wonderful for year-end tomatoes and is a simple way to preserve the harvest for winter.
Let me give you my recipe for a mild fermented salsa with yellow tomatoes!
Tools You'll Need
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
- 1 quart (1 litre) jar with lid
- mixing bowl
- measuring batter bowl (or measuring cups)
- a tablespoon
Ingredients
Unlike many people think, you don't need vinegar to make fermented tomato salsa. Salt will keep the wrong bacteria from taking over and make sure the right one takes hold. Here are the ingredients you'll need.
- yellow paste tomatoes
- onion
- garlic
- fresh parsley
- salt
How to Make Fermented Salsa with Yellow Tomatoes
This recipe is very simple to make!
Dice and measure out your tomatoes and onions.
Mince your garlic and parsley.
Dump ingredients into a large bowl, then sprinkle in salt and gently stir.
Ladle salsa into a quart jar and cover with a lid. Set on a plate or baking dish to catch juice from any bubble over that might occur.
Leave salsa to ferment for 3-7 days or until you like the flavor.
Tomatoes can quickly and vigorously ferment, so be sure the lid is loose enough gasses can escape. Or break the seal every day and stir.
When finished, refrigerate and remove portions as needed for the dinner table!
FAQ
Can I use red or cherry tomatoes for this recipe?
You can use any type of tomato in this mild fermented salsa recipe. I prefer to use paste or plum varieties because they have lower water content and make a thicker salsa than non-paste tomato types.
How long does fermented salsa last in the refrigerator?
Salsa will last for months in the fridge. And unlike some people think, it will continue to slowly ferment. You'll likely find that the flavor will grow too pungent for eating before the salsa actually goes bad.
Can I add heat to this yellow tomato salsa recipe?
Yes, you can! Just add 1 tablespoon of hot dried chili seed or 1 small jalapeno pepper before fermenting.
Mild Fermented Salsa (with yellow tomatoes)
Equipment
- cutting board
- sharp kitchen knife
- measuring cups and spoons
- quart (1 litre) jar with lid
- mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 6 cups diced yellow tomatoes
- 6 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 cup diced onions
- 1/2 cup minced parsley (packed)
- 4 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- On a cutting board, diced up yellow tomatoes and onions, adding to mixing bowl.
- Finely mince garlic and parsley, also adding to bowl.
- Measure out salt and sprinkle over your salsa.
- Gently stir to combine salt.
- Ladle raw salsa into a quart (1 litre) jar and loosely cover with lid.
- Set jar on a plate or baking dish, and leave to ferment at the back of your kitchen counter for 3-7 days.
- Taste test every day after day 3 and when you're happy with the flavor, refrigerate.
- Will keep in the fridge for 6-12 months.
We had an abundance of yellow tomatoes so I tried this out, but it spoiled after about three days. I added dill and cilantro and used beefsteak-type tomatoes; could they have needed more salt bc of the higher water content?
Did you ever get a reply? I’m curious before starting this recipe! Plus I wanted to trade out the parsley with cilantro too. Could that have made it spoil?
You should be able to freely change out fresh herb varieties in this recipe. Spoilage usually comes from loose fitting lids, or failing to even use a lid. If you have had problems with mold in your home or had issues with mold forming on other ferments, I highly recommend using an airlock fermenting lid.
Because this recipe has very little liquid, it's important to keep a tight fitting lid on it, to avoid extra exposure to oxygen and airborne bacteria. A canning lid and band will do, or an airlock fermenting lid. If you use juicy tomatoes, you can add an extra 1-2 teaspoons of salt. But most of the time, it's the lid that makes the difference.