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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.
we have a dairy allergy in our house, too. what can we use instead of whey?
Double the amount of sea salt.
Is there any problem using cilantro when you are nursing? I wouldn’t think so since it is a food, but the thought crossed my mind.
We can not use whey do to allergy. Is there other way to make this without whey? Perhaps just salt?
can i quit the whey?
Yes just double the salt and you can not use the whey.
where do you get the whey? in what form is it? I assume this whey is not the whey protein…
Liquid whey … the clear liquid on the top of a quart of plain yogurt. I have a video on how to strain it out easily on this blog if you do a quick google in the search box in the purple menu bar in the header.
b’h
I cannot get good quality whey? can i just use extra salt?
Voilaaaaaaaa, I just finish my fermented cilantro salsa, but I roasted the garlic , do you think will be any problem, I always made this salsa daily but not fermented, so, I have to give you Sarah my congratulations to you
Oh ,Cilantro it is in my kitchen all year round,I’m adicted it to it,in everything, but never fermented , right after I finish reading I will go and make it, thanks,
ps: by the way today is a week and half that I;m fermenting couliflower,red onion,and carrots, I tasted it it is awesome but I’m going to leave one more week,just wonderful,maggie
Hello –
This was my first time fermenting anything! 🙂 I just whipped it up on Sunday and stuck it in the cupboard (with the lid on) for 2 days. When I took it out of the cupboard, there was a layer over the top of the salsa. It’s so weird. I thought it was mold by looking at it (it’s kind of a whitish-gray color), but I was able to pick up the whole layer and it stayed as-is… it almost feels like a coffee filter or something – it’s thin and like…papery.
What is the deal? Is this normal? Or is it mold? Is the batch ruined? Just a note, the whey that I used was from homemade yogurt and it may have had some yogurt bits in it… not sure if that makes a difference.
Thanks!
Katie