Share your favorite store bought salsa dip you like?

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Caslon

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Favorite store bought salsa dip?

Of course we should all learn to make our own salsa dip, and many here probably do. I recently came across a store bought salsa brand called Herdez. Sold at Walmart and who knows where else. It has a unique combination of tomatoes, lime, salt, garlic and cilantro that is very Mexican tasting. Almost exotic ancient Aztec tasting. It's supposedly the #1 brand salsa south of the border. It's really unique tasting, but is a bit wet, so I drain out a lot of the excess water from it. The Herdez salsa brand I bought was listed as Mild/Medium hotness and had just enough peppers to leave a mild heat afterburn.

Other big name store bought salsa brands I've tried are... (not in jars, but in plastic containers ,near the deli section) include Rojo brand, Santa Barbara brand is excellent...I suppose there are dozens? :ermm:

If you come across Herdez brand salsa, please try it. it's a very unique tasting salsa dip. It's my #1 from now on.

P.S. Herdez also sells pork rinds. They call them chicharonnes. They are better than "Baken-Et" pork rinds which are a leading brand seller of pork rinds in the US. However, a lot of Baken-Et brand pork rinds are big and fluffy and it's like biting into foam rubber. Herdez brands keep their pork skin rinds smaller and crunchier. I like that. I don't like the super small "chicharonnes" tho, that some makers market, they almost taste "wet" when you bite into each one of them. That feels weird to my mouth.
 
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I almost always make my own - super easy. Roma tomatoes, white onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and a little salt. Sometimes some fresh lime juice, if I have it.

If I don't make my own, my first choice for salsa or pico de gallo is Rojo's. I agree with you that Herdez products are good, I almost always have a can or three in the pantry. :)
 
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I almost always make my own - super easy. Roma tomatoes, white onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and a little salt. Sometimes some fresh lime juice, if I have it.

If I don't make my own, my first choice for salsa or pico de gallo is Rojo's. I agree with you that Herdez products are good, I almost always have a can or three in the pantry. :)

Come to think of it, I have seen Herdez bottled products on the shelves, I never bought any bottled product of theirs.. I just happened to come across Herdez's ready made salsa dip in those plastic containers you see at the deli area. Some other brands I've bought were pretty good, until I tried the Herdez brand. It must be the lime.
 
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My Pico de Gallo! Every ingredient that goes in it, is store bought.:angel:
 
My favorite salsa verde:


Hatch Chile Salsa


Ingredients:

2 Tbslight olive oil

½ cupchopped onion

1 tspgarlic, minced

2 Tbs cornstarch

4 Tbs water

¼ tsp cumin

¼ tspblack pepper

1½ cups vegetable broth

1 cup Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled and chopped*

¼ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp salt

Instructions:

In a medium saucepan, heat the lightolive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onionsare translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 to 45 seconds more, just until fragrant.

Mix the cornstarch and water together.Slowly pour in the broth, then add the cornstarch and water, whisking constantly so that is stays smooth.

Add all the remaining ingredients tothe onion and broth mixture and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should be thickened just enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add more broth to thin it out if it is too thick. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.


* Hatch chiles are only available fresh in August and September, but you can buy them diced in a can on the Hispanic Foods aisle.
 
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My favorite Pico de Gallo:

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced, white andgreen parts
½ red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ tsp garlic, minced
juice of 1 lemon (3 Tbs juice)
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Place the tomato, onion, jalapeño andgarlic in a serving bowl. Add lime juice andcilantro and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Servechilled or at room temperature.
 
My favorite Salsa Rojo:

Salsa Picante

Ingredients:

½ cup onion, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 Tbs cooking oil
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp oregano
¼ tsp chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

Heat the cooking oil in a sauté pan until it shimmers. Add the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño and sauté until the onions are softened but not browned. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until fragrant, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes with juice, stir and reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in the cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt, and pepper and continue to simmer the salsa for 10 minutes. Remove the salsa from the heat and gently fold in the cilantro. Move to a serving bowl and serve at room temperature.
 
I like Herdez. Tastes nice a fresh compared to the other jarred salsas..

I've never liked Herdez. It always tastes kind of flat. If I am going to use jarred sauce I will buy La Victoria or Pace.

Now, for queso dip, you can't go wrong with a jar of cheese whiz and a can or Ro-Tel seasoned diced tomatoes.
 
I make my own, but if we do buy a jarred salsa to keep on hand, TB likes Newman's Own - specifically the Mango version.

We get a brand here that is local to BC called Fresh is Best and quite frankly it is! It is in the deli section and their salsas and tortilla chips are really good. If I had to pick something close to my own, this is it.
 
I also make my own but when I don't, it's always Herdez. I've never tried the refrigerated Herdez Calson, only in the can or jar.

Pace is way too sweet and nasty thick.
 
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Hee hee! I like thick salsa! :LOL: If I buy it, it's Pace or Old El Paso, but I usually use those as a sauce or ingredient rather than a dip. I make my own cooked salsas from garden and/or farmers market ingredients and freeze them.

I think of pico de gallo as an entirely different thing - a fresh relish rather than a salsa.

Can't wait till my tomatillos are ripe so I can make avocado-tomatillo relish and salsa verde :yum:
 
Another vote for Herdez salsa, although I like to "doctor it up" a bit by adding a little chopped cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice. Salsa Lisa brand is pretty good, too.

For a nice, quick "store bought" Salsa Roja to use on grilled meats or as a dipping sauce, I combine the following in the food processor:

  • 7 oz. can Herdez Salsa Ranchera
  • 12 oz. jar roasted red bell peppers, drained and rough chopped (I use Mt. Olive brand)
  • 1 tbsp smoked Spanish paprika
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (can sub fresh lime juice)

Process until smooth.

I absolutely love this stuff. I don't recall where I got the recipe and, no, it's not authentic by any means. But it tastes fantastic. Smoky, vinegary, with a lot of depth of flavor (and a good amount of heat).
 
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Sounds good, Steve. :yum:

The 'smoky' part reminds me - sometimes I add a little bit of adobo with my pico de gallo. I buy a can of chipotle peppers with adobo (probably Herdez, come to think of it :LOL:), freeze it flat, and break off a little piece to mix in.

If I want a thicker dipping sauce, I make my usual pico de gallo and set some aside to put in the blender, then add back in.
 
That sounds delicious Steve..copied and pasted!


The 'smoky' part reminds me - sometimes I add a little bit of adobo with my pico de gallo. I buy a can of chipotle peppers with adobo (probably Herdez, come to think of it :LOL:), freeze it flat, and break off a little piece to mix in.

Great idea Cheryl! Why didn't I think of that??
 
My favourite store bought salsa is PepperMaster 10 Pepper Salsa. Just the right amount of heat and lots of flavour. It's not really available in stores with that name, except the PepperMaster's own store. He mostly makes his pepper sauces and salsa and stuff for other restos to brand as their own.
 
We found a fresh salsa (dairy section, by us) brand that we like a lot. Made by Sabra, it called "Santa Barbara Medium Salsa". It's not made anywhere near CA, though, but in White Plains, NY. :LOL:

Tastes so much fresher than any jarred salsa, and it's thick. I pulled the current in-use plastic tub from the refrigerator - it's about 2/3 gone - and laid it on its side. Took about a minute before it all slid horizontal.

It's a good thing we're having taco salad for supper tonight, seeing as how I now have a real craving for salsa! :yum:
 
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