Mexico in Alaska is a restaurant in Anchorage Alaska with salsa so good that it was sold by the liter at the local Costco. Bought in bulk with extra liters stored in the freezer, I ate that salsa on everything. Nachos, salmon, eggs, and even plain rice were simply vehicles with which I could eat salsa. I would pile it on top of my breakfast, lunch, and dinner, mopping spice-induced sweat off of my brow throughout the meal. I probably consumed more salsa by volume than any other food throughout high school and college… and well into my twenties… and also right now…

Today, I make my own salsa and every batch is a little different. With only 5 ingredients, the flavor of this salsa greatly depends upon the flavor of the tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro you use in it. I like to make it in bulk throughout August and September, when tomatoes and peppers are in their prime, and freeze it in medium-sized Tupperware containers to eat throughout the year. Cracking open a homemade salsa is one of the main things that keep me going in January when I start to feel like I will never feel the warmth of the sun on my skin again.

Luckily, making all that salsa takes no time at all. In August, I want to enjoy the last weeks of summer outdoors in my garden, not cooped up in the kitchen.

Beware, I like my salsa with a LOT of cilantro, just like Mexico in Alaska salsa. ‘Cause you can take the girl out of Alaska, but you can’t take the Mexico in Alaska out of the girl… I’m still workshopping that line. 😉

Salsa

5 large tomatoes, stems removed and cut into large chunks

5 jalapeños stem-ends removed, see below for instructions on de-seeding according to spice preference

1 densely packed cup of cilantro, stems and leafs

1-3 tbs Lime juice

Salt

Remove seeds from jalapeños. The seeds will determine the spiciness of your salsa. Without seeds, jalapeños are hardly any hotter than a regular bell pepper. Here’s the heat meter.

No spice: remove all seeds

Medium: remove seeds of 4 jalapeños

Hot: remove seeds of 3 jalapeños

Very hot: remove seeds of 2 jalapeños

Sweaty: remove seeds of 1 jalapeños

Crying: leave all the spicy goodness and keep all the seeds

Pulse tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro in a food processor. Add lime. Add salt to taste. The tastier the produce, the less salt you will need.

Regarding texture, I like mine chunk-free, just like Mexico in Alaska. I find that this texture is also the friendliest to freezing, because freezing makes chunky salsa very mushy. When unfrozen, you will notice a lot of water on the top of the salsa. This is normal, as a lot of water will leave the tomatoes and jalapeños due to the ice crystals destroying the cell structure that was allowing the fruits to keep all their moisture on the inside. Either shake it up, or skim the water off of the top. I prefer to skim so I can really concentrate that salsa flavor!

As always, I made some pins so you can save this recipe for later! Pick the one you like the most and pin it to your summer recipe board!