I like to use fresh produce when it is in season. It has so much more flavor than buying the same product when it is out of season. There are certain dishes that super fresh produce is essential and Fresh Peach Salsa is one of them. Versatile, this salsa can, of course, be used as a dip for tortilla chips and it can also be used as a topping for cooked fish, pork chops, or chicken breasts and for a number of other uses as well.
There are two types of salsa – Fresh and processed (bottled). Fresh salsa is meant to be used shortly after it has been mixed up. Ingredients in a fresh salsa are raw and the juices that emanate from the fruit and vegetables will be water thin. The ingredients will have vibrant flavor and the vegetables and fruits will hold their shape and be crisp, never soggy or dull. This is in contrast to a processed salsa where the ingredients will be cooked and the salsa will have a thicker consistency, almost sauce-like in texture. A cooked salsa will have a longer shelf life than the fresh salsa.
This colorful fresh Peach Salsa is super showy and very tasty.
The great thing about the salsa is that the seasonings can be adjusted according to one’s personal taste. For my recipe, I have purposely gone gentle on the amount of Jalapeño pepper used as well as the garlic and ginger. My recommendation is, as always, to initially make the recipe the way the recipe developer has intended. Then, taste the salsa and, if it does not have sufficient “heat” for your taste, add a bit more seasoning – but just add a bit at a time, tasting as you go. As the old saying goes, you can always add more seasoning but, once it’s in the dish, you can’t remove it.
Peaches
Use ripe but still firm fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped into ¼” pieces. If the peaches are too ripe, they’ll break down too much in the salsa and add too much liquid. You want the peaches to hold their shape.
Tomato
Use plum tomatoes (aka the Roma variety) for this salsa. Plum tomatoes are a firm variety with fewer seeds and less juice than most other varieties. Plum tomatoes will hold their shape when diced and won’t add unnecessary juice to the salsa. There will still be some seeds in plum tomatoes so be sure to remove them and the juicy sac that surrounds the seeds then cut the tomato into ¼” pieces. Fresh Peach Salsa is meant to be a clean salsa, free of seeds.
Peppers
Adding a bit of sweet red pepper to Peach Salsa adds color and flavor. Of course, there has to be some Jalapeño pepper added, too. This is a hot chile pepper so, unless you like really hot and spicy food, I recommend the “less is more” practice. I add between 1½ – 2 teaspoons of very finely chopped Jalapeño pepper to this salsa. This, of course, can be varied with more or less according to personal taste preference.
Onion
Red or green onion may be used in the Peach Salsa. The red onion will add a more pungent flavor than will the more subtle green onion. I also think its burgundy/eggplant color adds an interesting hue to the salsa. With fresh salsa, color, vibrancy, and texture are key.
Cilantro
Fresh cilantro is a must for this salsa. I generally use between ¼ and 1/3 cup of the chopped herb. More, or less, may be used according to taste.
I grow Cilantro in my backyard chef’s garden every year. It’s a great addition to salads and fresh salsa. Cilantro will resemble flat-leaf parsley in appearance but it has a distinctively different flavor. Cilantro’s unique taste is often described as having a citrus undertone. It will add a burst of flavor and is a common ingredient in salsa.
Lime Juice
Always use freshly squeezed lime juice in a fresh salsa – it’s just so much fresher and better tasting than the commercially bottled version.
The lime juice performs double duty in the Peach Salsa. First, the acid in the juice helps to keep the peaches from turning brown quickly. Second, it gives wonderful citrus flavor to this fresh salsa.
Seasonings
Some garlic salt and ground ginger are sufficient to season this salsa since the primary ingredients take care of generating the flavor. Adding ½ teaspoon of sugar adds just a touch of sweetness to balance the Jalapeño pepper and lime juice.
Add some fresh chopped parsley for additional color and subtle flavoring.
Making the Salsa
Easy-peasy describes the method for making fresh Peach Salsa. Once all the ingredients are chopped they, and the seasonings, are simply mixed together in a bowl. Letting the salsa sit for about 15 minutes or so at room temperature allows the flavors to “mix and mingle” and deepen their relationship 🙂 Refrigerate the salsa, covered, for about 15 minutes to chill slightly before serving.
Ways to Enjoy Fresh Peach Salsa
The traditional way to serve this salsa is to simply surround the bowl of salsa with tortilla chips for dipping.
A work-around for those concerned about the sanitation of guests “double dipping” (and there is always at least one who dips the tortilla chip more than once into the salsa) at a gathering is to serve the salsa in individual serving dishes like the small glass ones in the photo below. Guests simply pick up a personal-sized dish of salsa and double-dip the tortilla chips into the salsa to their heart’s content.
This fresh Peach Salsa is also a lovely addition spooned over cooked fish, pork chops or, as I have done here, oven-roasted chicken breasts served on a bed of rice.
The colorful salsa dresses up, or completes, a plain piece of meat, fish, or poultry and adds a burst of flavor and texture along with eye appeal.
This mild salsa can also be spread over tortilla chips, topped with shredded mozzarella cheese, and placed in the oven at 400°F just until the cheese is melted. A perfectly delightful treat served hot with a dob of sour cream.
Some other ways you might use this salsa:
• Topping for tacos
• Spooned over scrambled eggs or an omelette
• Added as a condiment on burgers
• Added to a grilled cheese sandwich
• Mixed with sour cream as a topping for baked potatoes
• Stirred into tuna or chicken salad
• Served over rice as a side dish
• Mixed with sour cream and use as a chip dip
• Mixed with cold cooked quinoa for a side dish to meat, fish, or poultry
You will find a multitude of uses for this versatile, colorful, and flavorful Peach Salsa.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Fresh Peach Salsa
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced small
1 medium-sized plum tomato, cored and seeds removed, diced
1/3 cup sweet red pepper, diced
2½ tbsp red onion, diced small (or green onion sliced thin)
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1½ tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 – 2 tsp Jalapeño pepper, stem and ribs removed, seeded, and minced)
½ tsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp ground ginger
½ tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Fine sea salt, to taste
Tortilla chips for serving (optional)
Method:
Combine all ingredients in bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for apx. 15 minutes before serving.
Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or spoon over fish, chicken, or pork.
Yield: Apx. 2½ – 3 cups Salsa (depending on size of peaches and tomato)
Printable Recipe
Fresh Peach Salsa
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced small
- 1 medium-sized plum tomato, cored and seeds removed, diced
- 1/3 cup sweet red pepper, diced
- 2½ tbsp red onion, diced small (or green onion sliced thin)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1½ tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1-2 tsp Jalapeño pepper, stem and ribs removed, seeded, and minced
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp garlic salt
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Tortilla chips for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes then cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for apx. 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or spoon over fish, chicken, or pork.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 2½ - 3 cups Salsa (depending on size of peaches and tomato)
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