Deconstructing Casa Sanchez Salsa
I LOVE Casa Sanchez Salsa.
I DON'T love paying $5 for a container of it.
I LOVE making my own salsa.
Has anyone else tried to deconstruct Casa Sanchez salsa to get that same great flavor? I spent some time last summer, and I just can't get it right. However, Towards the end of the tomato season I learned a few things that I'm going to pick up on again this summer...
1) Lemon instead of lime gets me a lot closer
2) Salt is good
3) Canned Tomatoes give a richer deep tomato flavor, which gets me closer.
Beyond that, I'm a bit stumped. I THINK that red onions get me a little closer, but I'm not sure. Roasted or raw garlic? What kind of peppers? quantities of all of the above?
Has anyone else tried to figure this out? Better yet, has anyone worked there and holds the secret recipe?? :)
Edit: If this should be in the "Home Cooking" section feel free to move it, but I figured casa sanchez is a pretty local brand, so this would be the best forum.
mucknet
Apr 25, 2007 08:04PM
What does it say on the ingredients?
Does Casa Sanchez have oil in it? A small amount of oil really brings the ingredients together and enhances the flavors. For Mexican-style salsas, I always use corn oil.
One thing I've learned about salsa is not to use super-ripe, peak-season tomatoes -- too sweet, and the salsa ends up tasting ketchupy.
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No oil --
The ingredients list is:
"Tomatoes, Peppers, Onions, Cilantro, Garlic, Citric Acid & Sea Salt"
Nutrition info shows 10 calories, 160 sodium, 4% Vitamin A, and 2% Vitamin C in two Tablespoons.
As to which salsa, I'm talking either their mild, medium or hot salsa. The regular red stuff. The ingredients list is identical I believe between mild, medium and hot.
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I think I've seen citric acid at Rainbow Grocery.
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They could be using a combination of peppers -- some mild peppers to give flavor and some hot peppers to add heat. You might want to experiment with different peppers and combinations of peppers. There's also probably more cilantro than you think. Or at least, my salsa tastes better the more cilantro is in it! Interesting that they aren't using any lemon/lime juice at all -- they're using citric acid instead. That probably adds the flavor without adding extra liquid, making it a little more concentrated.
I'd still try adding a small amount (like a teaspoon per pound of tomatoes) of corn oil.
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Which salsa? Casa Sanchez makes several.
https://www.casasanchez.com/parent.htm
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I didn't realize that "citric acid" meant something other than lime or lemon juice... But it makes sense now that I've googled it :) Thanks for pointing that out.
What kinds of peppers have people had good luck with for salsa? Their salsa tastes sweet to me. I've tried various combinations of: jalepenos, seranos, habaneros, and arbol (fresh and dried).
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What about trying an anaheim to add the sweet peppery flavor without all that heat?
JB
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I don't have any recipe ideas but I also love Casa Sanchez salsa -- especially the hot. It is very addictive. My pre-travel routine (when I'm going somewhere with spicy food) is to eat hot Casa Sanchez every day until it doesn't taste hot anymore.
I wonder if age is part of it? I imagine it must sit around for a while before it is stocked at the store. Plus it has a pretty long shelf life.
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