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Delicious and detoxifying recipe for homemade cilantro salsa which is lightly cultured to add probiotics and potency for extra therapeutic benefit.
Cilantro is an ancient herb used in cooking and healing for thousands of years.
The traditional cultures of Northern Europe considered cilantro so important that only doctors and priests were allowed to use it!Â
Perhaps that is the reason European cuisine rarely includes cilantro, though it is native to the area.
In more modern times, researchers found cilantro to contain a high level of antioxidants. Perhaps most importantly, cilantro is highly detoxifying and can assist the body with the removal of heavy metals.
Hence, cilantro is a potent whole-food chelation agent.
While not widely used in European cooking, Latin American and Asian cuisine use cilantro extensively.
In particular, the combination of cilantro and tomatoes is one of the most traditional and popular condiments in Latin America.
I believe that certain food combinations are traditional because they are beneficial for both taste and health.
Preparation
I recommend that you chop the ingredients for cilantro salsa by hand. Not only is this traditional, but it really seems to result in a better-tasting salsa.Â
Some food processors chop at such a high speed that it actually changes the taste of the vegetables.
Since cilantro binds to metal, it is best to use a glass bowl when making this recipe. Store the finished salsa in a glass jar. Mason jars are ideal.
Serving Tips
The hot peppers are traditional but optional. If you do include them, be sure to use gloves as you chop. Never touch your eyes until carefully washing your hands.
An alternative to the fresh hot peppers is to add 1-4 teaspoons of bottled hot sauce after the fermentation is complete. Stir it in well. Organic hot sauce is optimal because peppers are typically a high-spray crop.
This cilantro salsa goes great with all meats, which is the way Latin American cuisines use such condiments traditionally. But you can enjoy it with almost any main course!
Homemade Fermented Cilantro Salsa
Delicious and therapeutic recipe for homemade cilantro salsa which is fermented to add probiotics and potency for therapeutic benefit for naturally and gently chelating metals from the body.
Ingredients
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes preferably organic and heirloom
- 2 green onions preferably organic
- 1-2 bunches cilantro preferably organic
- 4 cloves garlic preferably organic
- 4 Tbl liquid whey do not substitute powdered whey
- 2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 4 hot peppers optional, preferably organic
- 1-4 tsp hot sauce optional, use instead of fresh hot peppers if desired
Instructions
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Wash all the vegetables thoroughly, and dry them. Chop the tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, and garlic very fine. Place the chopped vegetables in a large glass bowl.
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If you are using the hot peppers, protect your hands by using disposable gloves. Remove the seeds, unless you really like it hot. Slice the peppers into small circular pieces, and add to the rest of the vegetables. Be sure never to touch your eyes until you wash your hands thoroughly.
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Add the whey and the salt to the vegetables, and mix well.
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Pour the mixture into a quart-sized mason jar. There should be at least one inch of space between the top of the jar and the mixture. It is important that the mixture does not touch the lid.
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Cover the jar and move it to a dimly lit location (I use the inside of a cupboard or pantry), and let rest for two days while the fermentation takes place.
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Stir in optional hot sauce if hot peppers were omitted but you wish to add additional heat to the recipe. Refrigerate.
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This condiment should easily last a month in the refrigerator as the fermentation is a natural preservative.
Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist
Hi Rachel, whey lasts 6 months in the fridge. As long as it doesn't have any mold on it, you should be fine. You might have trouble using bottled garlic as it was not fresh and would add a mold risk to the batch. It will probably be fine, but watch it closely.
The Grunder Family
Hello Sarah,
Just made the salsa and had a couple of questions… how long does whey last in the fridge and the only garlic I had was the bottled kind and it has xanthum gum in it. Will this affect the fermenting process at all. The whey I have is at least 6months old too…thanks!
FloridaSusan
The evidence on cilantro as a "heavy metal chelation" herb is sketchy at best. This "herban legend" is based on one paper which was not so much research as it was speculation. The chelation effects have NEVER been proven, so remain speculation. Don't get me wrong, as an herbalist, I love cilantro for its antioxidant and antiinflammatory qualities. But the chelation myth is getting a little out of hand.
~Susan in Florida
Louise
It’s not a myth, it really does pull out mercury, but it doesn’t grip hold long enough to guarantee getting it out of your body. This is why chelating with cilantro is super dangerous, especially when you still have amalgam (silver) fillings – they’re 50% mercury and all you will do is pull out even more from them and drop it elsewhere in your body.
I’ve read first hand accounts from many people who have made themselves deathly ill by eating cilantro (coriander leaf).
I would advise people only eat this if they don’t have any amalgam fillings. For more info on removing mercury safely look up the Cutler Protocol, and the IAOMT website for safe amalgam removal protocol.
Melissa
I tried fermented salsa a couple of years ago, and it lasted in the fridge for a couple months. I will definitely have to try this recipe 🙂 My husband is a big Mexican food fan!
Anonymous
Love cilantro and eat it every chance I get. It's a great detoxifier, so there it's healthy for you as well as delicious. Thanks for this post Sarah and Stanley! 🙂
Stanley Fishman
Pavil,I wash the tomatoes well with a natural vegetable wash, but I do not peel them.
Traditionally, they were not peeled, and I try to keep the ingredients close to the traditions.
Pavil The Uber Noob
Stanley, am I correct in understanding that you do no peel your tomatoes?
Ciao
Pavil The Uber Noob
I learned the hard way about the hot peppers (but then I am a noob).
This salsa is one of my more popular ferments. I usually serve it as a condiment alongside fermented bean paste. I like to eat them blended together.
Ciao
maggie
Hi Pavil the Uber Noob,How do you do do the fermented beans paste ,please,thanks,maggie
Kat
I love salsa with cilantro. Ever since I started making it that way, I haven't been able to go back to any of my older recipes. It's delicious!
Audry
yum! I'm going to make this soon