I’m of the belief that if you have the ingredients on hand, homemade is always, always mo’ better than jarred. I also wonder, why buy “fresh” salsa when it’s so easy to make at home? Not to mention cheaper. I almost always have jalapenos, either on the counter or ones that I’ve tossed in the freezer to use as I need to. Canned tomatoes work just as well as fresh. Toss it all in the food processor, give it a whirl, and ta da! You’ve got some yummy salsa to dip your chips into, or add to your scrambled eggs, or use in various recipes. Another advantage to making it yourself is that you can doctor it up so it’s exactly the way you like it. Hotter? Add more jalapenos or even a habanero. Garlicky? Add one or two more cloves. You like a chunkier salsa? Control the pulsing of the food processor or blender. You get the drift. But the true bonus? You can’t really mess it up. Now how’s that for cooking 101?!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a large onion or a whole small onion (I’ve used red, yellow, and even white – it’s just preference or what you have on hand)
• 1 26oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved in case you want a thinner salsa
• 1 or 2 jalapenos, deseeded and membranes removed (or toss the whole dang thing in there! minus the stems, of course)
• the juice of 1/2 of a lime
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 cup of cilantro
• 2 cloves of garlic

Preparation:

Toss the above ingredients into a food processor or blender, and pulse until desired consistency is obtained. If needed, add in some of the reserved water from the tomatoes. Transfer to a sealed container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.