Strawberry Salsa

Make the most of strawberry season and whip up this fruity salsa. Colorful and oh so easy to make, this salsa is a little sweet, a little tangy, and a little spicy.

Jun 11, 2024

Move over tomatoes, strawberries are taking center stage in this unique, fruity salsa. With strawberry season in full swing, now’s the perfect time to make this delicious strawberry salsa. The recipe comes together in minutes and involves combining fresh strawberries, yellow bell pepper, cucumber, onion, jalapeño pepper, cilantro, and garlic in a large bowl. A simple lime dressing is whisked together and added, creating a perfect summer dip.

The trick to making the best strawberry salsa is knowing how to pick the ripest, most flavorful berries. Whether you’re at the grocery store, a farmers’ market, a roadside stand, or a u-pick berry farm, here are some tips for buying superior strawberries.

Buy in-season and locally if possible. While you can buy strawberries year round, they’re best when in season. Early spring to mid-summer is when you’ll find the plumpest, juiciest, sweetest, and most flavor-packed strawberries. Buying locally increases the likelihood that you’ll be getting wonderfully delicious strawberries. Locally grown strawberries travel short distances to reach consumers, which means they’re usually picked when they’re fully ripe and at their prime.

Check out nearby farmers’ markets and buy locally grown strawberries if possible. Image from Pixabay.

Look for vibrant, ruby red strawberries. For maximum sweetness, choose strawberries that have a deep, almost ruby red color. The exterior should be slightly glossy. Check under the green leaves and make sure that deep red color comes all the way up to the top of the berry. If the top of the strawberry is pale green or white, it wasn’t picked at peak ripeness and will likely be less sweet and slightly tart.

The gorgeous red color of strawberries should extend all the way to the top of the berry. Image by Veeterzy from Pexels.

White or pale green tops indicate the strawberries weren’t picked at peak ripeness. Image by Ave Calvar.

Select strawberries that are firm and plump. Strawberries should be plump and slightly firm to the touch. Berries that are hard may not be very sweet. The skin should be taut, not wrinkled, shriveled, or bruised. While not always the case, smaller strawberries tend to be juicer, sweeter, and more flavorful than large berries.

Inspect the green tops. The leafy green cap, or calyx, attached to the top of the strawberry should be bright green, perky, and fresh looking. Strawberries may be past their prime if the leafy tops are brown, dry, or wilted.

Look for bright green, perky, fresh-looking tops. Image by Justus Menke from Unsplash.

Give them the smell test. I think the easiest, most foolproof way to select the sweetest strawberries is to give them a sniff. Ripe strawberries should have a distinct, strong strawberry aroma. If they smell like wonderfully sweet strawberries, they’ll likely taste that way.

When you get your perfectly selected strawberries home, store them in the refrigerator in their original container and use within a few days. Do not wash these ruby red gems or remove the green tops until you’re ready to use them.

As for what to serve this salsa with, tortilla or pita chips are an obvious choice. It makes a nice topping for crostini or your favorite cracker. It can also be served as a condiment alongside grilled chicken, fish, or pork. No matter how you choose to enjoy this salsa, it’s best served right after it’s made as the strawberries tend to break down and soften the longer it sits.

To your health,

Darlene

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STRAWBERRY SALSA

Yield: 12 servings

Serving Size: 1/3 cup salsa

Prep: 10 minutes

Ready: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 pound container fresh whole strawberries, trimmed and diced (3 1/2 cups diced)
3/4 cup diced yellow or orange bell pepper
3/4 cup diced seedless cucumber
1/3 cup diced white onion
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, finely diced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon agave syrup or honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Chile lime seasoning (such as Trader Joe’s Chile Lime Seasoning Blend or Tajin^® Clasico)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, place strawberries, yellow pepper, cucumber, onion, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro.
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, vinegar, agave syrup, garlic, Chile lime seasoning blend, and salt.
Pour lime dressing over strawberry mixture and gently stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Cook’s note: Serve this strawberry salsa with tortilla or pita chips, or as topping for crostini. It also makes a delicious condiment served alongside grilled chicken, fish, or pork.

Nutrition Information per Serving

25 Calories, 0 g Total fat, 0 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 112 mg Sodium, 6 g Total carbohydrate, 1 g Dietary fiber, 4 g Total sugars, 1 g Added sugars, 0.5 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 9 mg (0%) Calcium, 0 mg (0%) Iron, 45 mg (0%) Potassium