Old Lady Salsa

Okay, have you ever noticed that at every Farmer's Market, bazaar, fair etc, there is always at least one woman (usually old or old-ish), selling preserves? I've been suckered in before, partly because they are so nice, and their products have deceptively yummy sounding names. However, it seems that, with the exception of jam, regardless of what I choose (salsa, chili sauce, chutney, etc.) it all tastes the same. Part of my quest this summer was to find a recipe that tasted like my grocery store salsa. I looked up "Salsa" in my Bernardin Home Preserving Guide, and found recipes for things like "Summer Salsa" and "Pepper Pear Salsa". I spent hours peeling pears, chopping peppers and jalepenos. Duh! What was I thinking? I should have known it would taste like...sorry...Old Lady Salsa. That's because it's got vinegar and sugar instead of lime and cilantro. Unless you're over 70 (80?), don't do it. You'll be sorry.

I was relieved to read a post on the blog Seasonal Ontario Food where the author mentions her preference for salsas without vinegar. Ah hah! That was the problem. The salsa recipe I tried is incredibly tasty, very much like what I buy at the grocery store, and pretty easy. I won't say it's quick, but if I can do it, anyone can. I'll call it Chili Lime Salsa, and you can find step by step instructions here.