# Which premade salsas do you like and why?



## 4meandthem (May 29, 2012)

I make my own which is a Pico De Gallo style that is chunky, sweet and hot and I add corn in it. (that can be another thread sometime)

There are also plenty of times when the ingredients aren't good enough,  they are too expensive, I just have the time or don't want that one.

I have eaten so much "Pace picante medium salsa" that I am kind of bored with it now. It is good but I am just "OUTPACED". (Pun intended)
I find it has a big tomato and onion flavor and a little sweet. It benifits with the addition of cilantro.

Kirkland brand jarred salsa (Costco) has become our new "Pace" I find it has a fresher taste that is not as muted and it is big on Cumin and tomato flavor.It may be a little sweeter than pace and just as mild so my kids will eat it.

I also like a cheap canned brand (.50c a can) called "El Pato-Salsa De Jalapeno" . The flavor is little smokey and quite a bit hotter than the others. It is thin like a blended salsa and has lots of seeds. The canned flavor is not overpowering at all and I love to add chopped cilantro to this one too.

And just for the record I like either homade chips or "Santitas-White corn" in a pinch.


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## Barbara L (May 29, 2012)

Herdez Salsa Casera. It is the closest to homemade I have found in a jar.


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## vitauta (May 29, 2012)

herdez it is for me too.


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## Margi Cintrano (May 29, 2012)

Buongiorno,

I use very few pre-made sauces or salsas of any kind. However, instead of using Glass Jar Tomato Paste ( I do not eat anything from a Can or Tin ), on a rare occasion, I employ Barilla Brand Basil Tomato Sauce . It is quite decent as a Sub. 

Items which are made with any form of Soy or Soy Bi-Products, Soy Beans etcetra;  Sunflower Oil or sugar, I avoid like the plague. 

I am highly allergic to Soy and its derivatives. I only buy home baked breads for this reason. Many packaged breads have soy flour. Cannot. 

I also do not like sugar added to foods, and thus, jar brands, have large quantities of unwanted sugar and sodium. 

I prefer natural foods even if they are less convenient.

Interesting Post.

Kind regards.
Margi. Ciao.


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## Claire (May 29, 2012)

Mrs. Renfrew's -- I like most of that brand I've tried, especially the green.   Very hot.  I like them because they're not sweet.  I make my own pico de gallo type as well, especially when my tomatoes come in (cannot wait!!! it'll be at least two months!).  I don't put sugar in any tomato-based sauce/salsa, so when I buy jars of either I find them too sweet usually.


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## PrincessFiona60 (May 29, 2012)

Herdez & La Costena brand salsas.  They taste fresh, nice heat and come in small cans so it;s easier for us to use them quickly.


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## taxlady (May 29, 2012)

I like Tostitos brand salsa. It only contains food, citric acid, and calcium chloride. I like the taste. I don't use it often because it contains a *lot* of sodium.


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## Zhizara (May 29, 2012)

I use Walmart's Great Value chunky salsa.  Nice and chunky with crisp veggies, cheap too.


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (May 29, 2012)

Pace Picante sauce because it's made in San Antonio by people who know what picante sauce is supposed to taste like, not in New York City. I also like La Victoria, which is made in California.


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## Steve Kroll (May 29, 2012)

For the most part, I find it's very easy just to make homemade salsa or pico de gallo. But last year for our kid's grad party, we ended up using jarred salsa, simply because it was far more convenient and likely what her friends would be most used to eating. We tried a few and found one in the refrigerator section called "Salsa Lisa" that we all liked. The Chipotle flavor was my personal favorite. My wife and daughter liked the regular medium salsa. Both tasted relatively fresh.

The problem I have with most jarred salsas is they tend to have a "cooked" flavor that I don't care for. One thing I found that helps with that is to squeeze a little fresh lime juice into it. That really seems to brighten it up.


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## kadesma (May 29, 2012)

Salsa is used often here and we like fresh instead of jarred or canned.I have used jarred chopped tomatoes when I'm desperate, but since we grow so many tomatoes well At my house it's make it fresh.
kades


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## GLC (May 29, 2012)

I like San Antonio Farms, formerly Van De Walle Farms. Tastes fresher, I think a bit fresher than Pace, and brighter and neither watery nor like tomato sauce. 







But there's a lot of room for variety and some very good house-made restaurant salsa's around here. Some of the great ones fire roast the tomatoes and peppers. One great place, now defunct, served six different salsa's with chips to every customer.


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## 4meandthem (May 29, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Herdez & La Costena brand salsas. They taste fresh, nice heat and come in small cans so it;s easier for us to use them quickly.


 
The size/price is what got me started buying the small cans. I bet we throw out 30 percent of premade salsa and even a higher percentage of homemade.It is difficult for us to finish either before it goes bad. The Kirkland brand jar is pretty big for us so we have to have some parties.


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## GotGarlic (May 29, 2012)

4meandthem said:


> The size/price is what got me started buying the small cans. I bet we throw out 30 percent of premade salsa and even a higher percentage of homemade.It is difficult for us to finish either before it goes bad. The Kirkland brand jar is pretty big for us so we have to have some parties.



You can freeze extra premade or cooked salsa and it will be fine. DH came home from a school event with a about a half gallon of extra salsa so I portioned it into pint jars and put them in the freezer.

We use the Walmart brand, too. It has good flavor and the right amount of heat. I like the ideas of freshening it with cilantro and lime juice.


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## buckytom (May 30, 2012)

another vote for mrs. renfrews. i couldn't remember the name, but thanks to claire for posting it.

it is certainly on the hot side. we've gotten the basic one, as well as their (hers?) mango habanero. both were good.

even my boy and the neighborhood kids enjoy it by the pool, surprisingly with the hot peppers.


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## Claire (May 30, 2012)

buckytom said:


> another vote for mrs. renfrews. i couldn't remember the name, but thanks to claire for posting it.
> 
> it is certainly on the hot side. we've gotten the basic one, as well as their (hers?) mango habanero. both were good.
> 
> even my boy and the neighborhood kids enjoy it by the pool, surprisingly with the hot peppers.



There is one that is a red with black beans and I think some corn that is a rather mild one that I like as well.  

A friend from Colorado used to take home a case of it when she visited (she found a local source).  Mrs. Renfrews makes about a half dozen.  I wouldn't do without the (very hot) green, the others I sort of rotate.  Great brand, I don't mind tooting their horn.


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## Gravy Queen (May 30, 2012)

I can't say I buy many pre-made, I much prefer a home made one using some beautiful tomatoes, a good hot chilli pepper/or hot pepper sauce, red onion or sweet onion, fresh coriander , a good squeeze of lime and a glug of olive oil (or no oil if being virtuous). Even better if you leave it to stand for a while.


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## Auntge (Nov 28, 2012)

I use Giant Supermarket's pre-made Salsa.  It is fresh and delicious.  Never had a problem.  You can get it mild or hot.


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## Zagut (Nov 28, 2012)

Homemade is the best but I do like Pace Picante Hot.

The lesser heat values aren't up to standard IMHO.


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## lifesaver (Nov 28, 2012)

Because it is loaded with flavor!


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## lifesaver (Nov 28, 2012)

That makes me mad when the pic doesn't show up! It is a jar of Pace Picante hot and chunky.


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## Vanitas (Nov 29, 2012)

4meandthem said:


> I also like a cheap canned brand (.50c a can) called "El Pato-Salsa De Jalapeno" . The flavor is little smokey and quite a bit hotter than the others. It is thin like a blended salsa and has lots of seeds. The canned flavor is not overpowering at all and I love to add chopped cilantro to this one too.


I had never seen El Pato before until I was doing some grocery shopping "south of the border" in Washington. It was on sale super cheap so I bought a few cans to try - now I use it in everything! It's a great addition to pasta sauce & chili too.


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