Fermented Salsa & Beets: The BEST way to enjoy fresh home made salsa & great way to get pre-biotiotics and probiotics to heal and maintain gut health.
What is all the big fuss about fermented foods and why would I want to go to the extra work to make them? Fermented Salsa & Beets is one way to easily and quickly get started in the world of fermenting. As written in The Art of Fermentation, “Fermented foods, as a group, are highly nutritious and digestible. Fermentation pre-digests foods, making nutrients more bioavailable, and in many cases, fermentation generates additional nutrients or removes anti-nutrients or toxins.” From Nourishing Traditions, “Preservation of vegetables and fruits by the process of lactose-fermentation has numerous advantages beyond those of simple preservation. The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels.”
Fermented Salsa & Beets have a shorter ferment time than sauerkraut or kimchi, so you can enjoy these treats sooner. The fermented salsa is fabulous! My teenage sons really enjoyed it by itself with chips and sliced avocados, or as an accompaniment to the Poultry Bone Broth Soup. Sometimes I layer the ingredients, while at other times I mix them together in a bowl, then pour into a jar. Either way, you can experiment based on what seems appealing on a given day. 
Organic ingredients are a must! Rinse all the ingredients first and let the water drain off. Tomatoes, green onions, green bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, oregano, cilantro, garlic, and salt were used in this batch. I find that a regular onion can quickly overpower the flavor, so I like to stay with green onions, or perhaps a sweet WallaWalla onion would work well. Jalapeño peppers are always a gamble for hotness—you never know! So, I prefer to taste a small piece from the tip of the pepper to get a sense of its temperature. Sometimes this can bite back, but at least I don’t have a whole batch of salsa that is too hot for the family to eat. Well, I have to exclude Fred here, because he would love it! He would have a jar all to himself, however, while the rest of us would be entertained by his face breaking into a sweat and his voice going hoarse. Moving on, leave 1-inch headroom, cover and store in a cool place for two to three days, then transfer to the refrigerator. This is so yummy!
This batch of fermented beets was made with golden beets. There is no need to peel an organic beet. Simply scrub it under running water and dice. Pack the chopped beets into a pint jar. Add cooled brine to cover the beets, leaving 1 1/2″ headspace. Place glass weights on top and screw down the lid. Place in cool, dark area to ferment, such as a closet or on a shaded area of the counter with a towel covering. I let mine stand for 3 weeks, but taste them at one and two weeks to evaluate the flavor you are looking for. I love these lids, because you can remove all the air after tasting the beets or any other ferment if you decide that they need a bit more time to build the flavor you like.
♥ Shelly
Don’t forget to pin this FERMENTED SALSA & BEETS to your favorite PINTEREST board for later!
Fermented Salsa & Beets
Ingredients
Fermented Salsa
- 4-6 medium roma tomatoes
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1-2 jalapeno
- 1 Tbsp cilantro, dried or 1 bunch chopped, fresh
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 1 lemon juiced or orange juiced
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- filtered water as needed
Fermented Beets
- 2 medium beets red, golden or striped
- 1 Tbsp Celtic sea salt
- 1 cup filtered water as needed
Instructions
Main
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Thoroughly clean and sterilize the containers and utensils you will be using.
Salsa
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Chop 2 tomatoes and put into a quart jar.
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Chop onions and peppers, placing 1/2 of them into jar.
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Sprinkle 1/2 the cilantro, oregano & salt on top, along with 1/2 the garlic.
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Repeat steps 1, 2 & 3.
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Finish with another layer of tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Add juice of one lemon. Leave at least 1" headspace. If needed add some filtered water to keep salsa completely covered, allowing no air to touch the vegetables. Cover the jar with the Easy Fermenter Lid to ensure perfect fermentation results.
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Store in a cool, dark place (room temperature 60-70°F is preferred,) for 1 to 2 days. Once jar has been opened, move to cold storage.
Beets
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In a saucepan heat water. Add salt and stir till dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
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Wash, drain and chop beets, placing them into a pint sized jar.
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Pour the cooled brine over the vegetables until completely covered, leaving 1 ½ inches of headspace. It is always recommended that you keep your veggies below the brine. I use glass weights and then cover the jar with the Easy Fermenter Lid to ensure perfect fermentation results.
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Store in a cool, dark place (room temperature 60-70°F is preferred,) for 1 to 2 weeks. Open and taste test. Replace Lid and vacuum out air to allow to ferment for longer if you'd like the acidity and flavor to develop further.
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Once jar has been opened, move to cold storage. The pickled beets will keep for over a year.
Recipe Notes
♥Shelly
Don’t forget to pin this FERMENTED SALSA & BEETS to your favorite PINTEREST board for later!
Tools used to make this recipe (click on photo to learn more):
Additional tools and appliances you’ll want to see:
- Easy Fermenter Wide-Mouth Lid Kit: a really cool lid system.
- Pickle Packer: every little bit helps.
- Norpro Stainless Steel Wide-Mouth Funnel: very handy.
- Glass Jar Fermentation Weights: these are a must.
- Ball Quart Jar: every cook has these.
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