This raw and fermented tomatillo salsa is great for boosting beneficial gut bacteria. It comes together easily with just a few simple ingredients.
Fermented foods have sort of taken over my life this last few years. If you haven’t tried fermenting foods it’s so much fun (and so rewarding for your gut health). This fermented tomatillo salsa is one of the easiest ferments to make.
It’s so good!
You’ll find that fermented salsa/hot sauce has a deeper flavor than the vinegar-based hot sauce varieties you find in store. The probiotics alone make this salsa far more superior than commercial varieties.
Simply put: this is some awesome salsa.
Tomatillos aren’t hot. But, they are tart. Jalapeños are hot though, and they are included in this salsa. You could definitely substitute the jalapeños for serrano peppers, or even habanero peppers. Just make sure you wear gloves to handle them, and whatever you do, try not to rub your face/eyes/mouth (especially if you have an itch to scratch) while you cut them.
Believe me, it’s not a good feeling.
Aside from that, jalapeños are delicious and this sauce is super easy to make. The best part about making your own salsa or hot sauce is that you have ultimate control over what goes into your creation. (This is great, especially if you are particular about your food!)
Fermented Tomatillo Salsa
Aside from the control factor, this sauce is a breeze to make. There is hardly any effort involved. Simply throw the ingredients in the food processor and whizz for a few minutes before pouring in your jar and topping with your fermentation lid.
Here in the desert southwest, tomatillos grow incredibly well. If you can’t or haven’t got tomatillos in your garden, you can find them in your local supermarket.
At first glance, these may seem like green tomatoes – right? Except… well, except they aren’t. These green tomato look-a-likes are covered in a thin layer of green peel. Under that peel, a sticky sap designed to ward off the most bothersome pests in the garden.
Tomatillos make wonderful pasta sauce, are perfect in this Instant Pot ground beef with tomatillo sauce, avocado salsa verde, and are especially good when pickled.
Yum!
But this salsa/hot sauce tops all of those – and has lots of good, gut-healthy probiotics too!
Fermented Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients
- 8 ea tomatillos large, husks removed
- 5 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 ea onion quartered
- 2 ea jalapeno peppers stems and seeds removed
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
Instructions
- Pull the husks off the tomatillos, give them a good wash with cold water and slice them into quarters.
- Toss the tomatillos in the food processor with the garlic, quartered onion, jalapeños, salt, and coriander/caraway seeds Place the lid on the food processor and whiz for 2-3 minutes until everything is well combined.
- Pour the fresh sauce into a quart canning jar (give 1/2 inch headspace) and top with your fermentation lid. Don't over-tighten, as your jar will build pressure (and can explode if too tight).
- Allow to sit at room temperature for 7 days (or longer). Over that time, you will see tiny bubbles and activity in that jar. Once the 7 days have passed, remove the fermentation lid and cover with a regular canning lid.
- Fermentation will slow down dramatically once you refrigerate, though the sauce will develop a richer taste over time.
Notes
Did you make this? If you did, please comment and leave a star review to let me know how it turned out!
Looking for more fermented, gut-friendly foods?
Fermented Lemons (Preserved Lemons)
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Hi Sheryl, I just made the tomatillo salsa and have this question:
You dont use a weight to hold down the particles, just the fermentation lid?
Worried about spoilage.
I don’t have any fermentation weights (nor did I use any for this). But if you are worried you definitely can. If you don’t want to use weights, I have (in the past) filled a ziplock with some water and used that before adding my fermenting lid. Hope that helps!