Add Spice To Your Salsa With Peppers

Lisa’s Point of View is blogging all things FRESH SALSA and peppers. People are often hesitant to add peppers to their fresh salsa. Yet there are so many variations (thousands) from sweet peppers to mild peppers to medium peppers to hot peppers. Adding peppers to your fresh salsa allows you to get creative with your salsa while adding texture, flavor and minimal to maximum heat.

Jalapeno, Hungarian Wax Pepper, Poblano, Anaheim, Red Hot Chili Pepper

One of the most important things to consider when utilizing peppers is the level of heat you want. To minimize the heat intensity, remove the seeds and the veins which hold the most heat. If you want to increase the heat, then leave the seeds and the veins in the peppers. I recommend reducing the volume of peppers used if leaving the veins and seeds in tact.

I am often asked how much I recommend using when making fresh salsa. It is really up to your palate and heat intensity you want. My standard rule of thumb is 1 heaping Tablespoon full of chopped peppers per 16 ounce container of fresh salsa. If my friends/guests enjoy adding more heat then I will add additional chopped peppers. If your fresh salsa has too much heat, add some sugar or sweetener to it. Stir it thoroughly and let it sit for a while in the fridge before serving. The sugar/sweetener will help offset the heat.

It is critical to wear gloves when chopping peppers. I do chop peppers by hand versus using a food processor or a hand chopping tool. That way I can control the size and shape of the chopped peppers. If you do not wear gloves, it is imperative to wash your hands thoroughly with soap after chopping. The residue on the skin of the peppers and juices from inside the peppers can irritate the skin and/or if they come into contact with the lips or eyes.

It is also important to use a separate cutting board and knife when chopping hot peppers. I urge people to use a quality chefs knife with a sharp blade for chopping peppers. It will make it so much easier and quicker to chop the peppers. I highly recommend Iron & Earth, LLC in Lynchburg, Virginia for custom forged knives. I absolutely love my custom knife I ordered from them. My son also ordered one from them, also. You can follow them on Facebook or Instagram and check out more info on their website: https://ironandearth.net/

Listed below are a few of my favorite peppers and their intensity on the Scoville measurement scale:
Sweet Bell Peppers: 0-100

Anaheim: 500-1000

Jalapeño: 2500-8000

Serrano: 5000-23000

Habanero: 100,000-350,000

Red Hot Chili Pepper: 350,000+

No two batches of my 5 pepper or medium salsa ever taste the same as I am always changing up which peppers I use based on what I can find at the local farmers markets or stores. I am growing some new peppers in my small garden this year. One is called a Cowhorn Hot Pepper! A few years ago when I was in NW Arkansas, I was able to get very unique peppers from a co-op. As you can see in the photo below they were individually wrapped in plastic for a reason due to their heat intensity.

The Carolina Reaper has been classified as the hottest pepper per the Guiness Book Of World Records for many years. It rates at 1.57 million on the Scoville scale. There is a new pepper called the Dragon’s Breath that is awaiting confirmation from the Guiness Book of World Records to be the new hottest pepper. Its rating is at 2.48 Million on the Scoville Scale. A little information on this new pepper from Thrillest : “Dragon's breath was "born out of a trial of new plant food developed by Nottingham Trent University which aims to increase the quality and resistance of plants," according to the BBC. Smith says the intended usage will, in fact, be medical. Oils from the tiny pepper are so potent it can be used as an anesthetic. “ Check out more information from their online article: https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/dragons-breath-new-worlds-hottest-pepper-carolina-reaper

Combining peppers with fresh fruit salsas can add an incredible sweet and spicy flavor for your salsas and entrees. I love adding peppers to mango salsa, peach salsa and pineapple salsas.
Adding peppers to your salsa is the perfect way to get creative in the kitchen with SALSA from Lisa’s Point of View. Cover photo of my salsa courtesy of Tammy Venezia Photography 2016.

Professional Photos of My Salsa Courtesy of Tammy Venezia Photography 2016