Couldn't Let it Go

I was standing at the kitchen counter, chopping red bell peppers, when I started to think about how these vegetables under my knife would provide flavor and sustenance months from now. That is always how canning goes, but at that moment it really stood out to me. I have canned pints of salsa every summer for the last several years. This year I have completed only a few canning projects, done at a slower pace than in years past, in between feeding Amos, while he is napping, or when Ray is home. It seemed like a big undertaking this summer, but I was determined not to miss gathering tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, onions, garlic, and a few jalapenos from the farmers market and (hopefully) making our years supply of salsa.

The salsa I made last year lasted until sometime in June. I didn't think I had enough tomatoes or time but over the weekend I was able to can 20 pints which should last us until next summer arrives.





I stood and chopped; stirred and tasted. I thought ahead to opening a jar in January as I often do when preserving the summer. I wanted to be able to look back on a cold winter day, or a blustery spring day and see the colorful, beautiful work that was hot and steamy and a little bit tiring, but so worth it.





We will open these jars when we want salsa, without thinking of the moment in time when they were made. When I stood at the counter chopping, when Ray took Amos for a drive and watched him while I ladled the salsa into the jars, when it was the hottest week of the summer but I couldn't let it go by without making salsa.

 

The recipe is pretty much the same one I posted years ago.

Mango Salsa

In the early third of my pregnancy I lost my usual enthusiasm for vegetables. Then winter set in and I was still not very inclined to eat fresh greens. Maybe it is the recent days of sunshine, the promise of truly warm days this weekend, or my body finally waking to spring but I've finally become eager to eat more fresh vegetables. Cucumbers and grape tomatoes and salads of all kinds have been almost irresistible. While I love to eat what is local and in season, at the end of a long winter I find myself craving a blast of fresh, juicy, and colorful food. While I know that greenhouses around here must be nearly overflowing with seedlings ready to be planted and grown into amazing produce, this time of year there is very little local produce to be found. I know how lucky I am to be able to eat fresh fruits and vegetables right now and I do my best to use them wisely and enjoy them thoroughly.

Right now, somewhere far away, mangoes are in season. Their taste reminds me of breakfast in Costa Rica. In April, three years ago, we were there and most mornings we woke up and ate breakfast at a long wooden table in an open air room, surrounded by other volunteers, the sounds of morning in the rain forest, and the gradual rising of the heat of the day. Its amazing the way that tastes can take us to far away places and times and suddenly I am remembering vivid details. A bit of mango and I can almost feel what it was like to be in that climate again.

I turned some of my mangoes into a very simple salsa. You hardly need a recipe but if you are still waiting for spring produce and you find yourself near some mangoes, I recommend indulging in this brightly colored, flavorful treat.

Mango Salsa
Eat it with tortilla chips, on top of quesadillas or any other way that you enjoy salsa. If you like your salsa spicy, add minced jalapeno pepper to your preferred taste. This salsa would also be excellent with the addition of chopped avocadoes.

2-3 medium sized ripe mangoes
1 small red onion
1 cup fresh cilantro
Juice of half a lime
Salt and cumin 

Peel the mangoes and remove the fruit from the pit. Chop the fruit into small pieces. Finely chop the onion and cilantro. Mix the mango, onion, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl. Add salt and cumin to your taste. Mix together and taste to adjust seasonings. Makes about 2 cups of salsa.