Pico de gallo” is Spanish for “rooster’s beak” and is a type of fresh salsa made with chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and chili peppers. In this recipe, we will ferment the pico de gallo instead of serving it fresh. This recipe is SO good and simple to put together; you have no excuse not to try it! 🙂 Unless, of course, you hate pico de gallo. ^^Check out that color!! That’s what I love to see when making pico because it only means one thing…
And that’s the secret to any good pico. From there, you can experiment with the texture and heat to hone in on your favorite way to enjoy it.
For me? I prefer to toss it all in my Vitamix and pretty much pulverize it. I like to leave a little bit of texture, enough to where you can barely recognize the ingredients. If you want to go this route, the only tip here is to add the onions first since they need the most choppage. Then pulse the blender, until everything is combined and chopped up to the same size.
While tomatoes, onions, and cilantro are the superstars here, they don’t stand alone. In my house, jalapenos are a MUST. Not only are they spicy, but they also add a sweet component from the pepper, bringing in a nice balance.
My advice on jalapenos: BEFORE you toss in the whole pepper, taste it first. Just a little sliver to test the heat out. Jalapenos have vastly different personalities. They can range from mild like a green bell pepper to fire bomb like a habanero, giving no superficial indications of what to expect. If it turns out to be a lame one, still use it, but add some cayenne pepper to compensate.
Remember, we are fermenting this pico, so you want to provide an environment to culture the good bacteria while keeping out the bad. Salt will do the trick. The bad bacteria can’t survive in a salty environment, so you want to ensure you’re not skimping out on the salt.
1
Quart10
minutes2-4
DaysThis Pico De Gallo recipe makes 1 quart.
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
2 Cups Cilantro
4 Cloves Garlic
2 TBSP Lime Juice
1-2 TSP Salt
1 TSP Cumin
Jalapenos
Cayenne
Follower
1 Quart Mason Jar
Quarter the onion and toss it in the blender, pulse until roughly diced
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and pulse until well combined but not pureed.
Taste it. At this point the pico could stand alone. Fermenting it takes it to the next level and you get the added benefit of probiotics, but you should like the pico as is before moving on.
If you like it, pour it into your mason jar!
Add the follower first, then the weight. Push the weight down until it is submerged in brine.
Leave it on the counter for 2-4 days to ferment. This melds all of the flavors together, providing a slight tang, and a healthy dose of probiotics! You can let your taste buds decide when it is done. Try it after two days and see what you think.
