We’ve got a ton of sun gold tomatoes growing in our garden at the moment.
Our neighbor gifted us 2 plants, and they’ve been shooting up like weeds! Next to the weeds!
Admittedly, I’m not the best at keeping a garden (it’s like having one extra room to clean). But I’m amazed at their resilience. Seeing homegrown tomatoes produce with such abundance triggers my seasonal nesting mode, and in this case, it’s all about making fresh salsa for the freezer.
Hands on time = 10 minutes.
The Ingredients
Here is a quick run down of what you’ll need:
Tomatoes- you can make fresh salsa with any kind of tomatoes, but sun golds are uniquely sweet.
Aromatics- my ratio is 1/2 cup diced red onions : 1/4 garlic clove : 2 lbs of tomatoes. There’s nothing worse than blasting innocent party-goers with your fire breathing self.
You know what I’m saying?
Bell Peppers- I wouldn’t make salsa without them. They add great flavorful. Don’t get all caught up with removing the ribs and every single seed; throw it all in. In terms of heat, I didn’t have any jalapeños so I used red pepper flakes instead.
Herbs- did you know you can eat cilantro stems? Use the thin stems from the top of the bunch (not the thick stems at the base). They taste wonderful. You can eat thin basil stems too.
Citrus- fresh lemon or lime juice will do the trick.
Seasoning-Â coarse salt and cumin. It’s just enough to make you go mmm…
Blend & Strain
Making homemade salsa is easy. Just throw everything into the food processor.
After processing however, the salsa is will look ‘juicy.’ Quickly strain into a small pasta strainer, reserving the liquid. I extracted about 1 full cup.
But don’t get rid of it!
Use the liquid as a base for rice and grains, when you can remember. You might think it’s not worth the effort but it’s delicious. If you’re still not convinced, a famous chef  (I forget his name!) makes vinaigrette using fresh tomato liquid. Keep it in the freezer for when the mood strikes.
To finish, drizzle good quality olive oil over the top (that’s the Italian in me) and watch it glisten…
What Else Besides Chips?
So glad you asked…
- Spoon over grilled salmon
- Use as a zesty taco topping
- Stir into quinoa for a festive side
- Use a a flavor base for sour and stews
- Serve with sautéed shrimp
- Make burritos
- Eat it with a spoon
- Enjoy with scrambled eggs or a Southwestern-style omelette
- Use as a topping for burgers and chicken sandwiches
Chill Out
Whatever you don’t eat, freeze.
This recipe will yield about 3 cups of salsa (think 1-2 small Tostito jars depending on how much liquid you’ve got).
Portion into snack size ziplock bags for convenience and less waste. Defrost gently in the microwave, at room temperature, or submerged into a bowl of cold water.
Now, you can enjoy fresh salsa as an appetizer or a quick snack anytime you’d like…
Kitchen Notes:
- Fresh salsa (with chips) is best enjoyed on the same day that it’s made. All other uses work well when defrosted and strained, if necessary.
10 minute sun gold salsa {for the freezer}
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients
- 4 cups sun gold tomatoes, or red cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 1/4–1/2 clove of garlic
- 1 large or 2 small bell peppers, roughly chopped with white ribs attached (I used both red & orange)
- 1 heaping cup of cilantro leaves, plus their thin stems from the top of the bunch
- juice of 1 lemon or lime
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coarse salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or less depending on preference)
- drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients into a food processor. Pulse a few times until the texture is roughly smooth. Give it a taste, and add more salt or lemon juice as needed. Sometimes, I’ll throw in more cilantro when in the mood. Adjust to your liking.
- Working over a large bowl, strain the salsa reserving the liquid. Transfer the liquid into a small ziplock bag and freeze for future use (use as a base for rice, grains, soups etc.)
- To finish, drizzle your salsa with olive oil, to taste. Serve right away, or portion into snack size ziplock bags and freeze.
- Note: after defrosting, strain the salsa if necessary, depending on use. Salsa (with chips) is best enjoyed on the same day that it is made.
Comments
Cara says
I have two explosive plants of the orange sun sweet tomatoes that I have been struggling to keep up with. Everyone told me to make salsa but it just sounded weird and I kept telling them I can only eat fresh salsa so many times a week before I’d be sick of it! I wondered about freezing it but wasn’t sure so I’m glad I found this recipe! I would also be adding fresh jalapeños from my garden as well so will that freeze ok? And if you have any other recipes to use for those smaller tomatoes I would love some help! I’m about sick of tomato salad and bruschetta!
Yvonne says
Can I substitute the same amount of basil for celantro?
Emilie says
Hi there! I would substitute with parsley instead as basil has a tendency to turn black when frozen.
laurasmess says
I honestly never would have thought to freeze a fresh tomato salsa. This is a great idea! It looks delicious and I love the tip of using the straining liquid to cook grains for extra flavour and nutrition. Genius. Oh, and I wish I had your ‘weed tomato growth’ problem..! I’ve been trying to grow tomatoes for about four years and they keep getting fried by the Australian sun before they fruit (as soon as summer arrives, which is in about two months now… I’m afraid as they’re just starting to look healthy again! Fingers crossed) xx
Beverley says
sunshine on a plate, when will I be able to get my hands on your new cookbook? xoxo (can’t wait) x0x0
Pam Green says
This is beautiful!
Jessie Snyder | Faring Well says
Want to be my neighbor and give me two bursting tomato plants!? I don’t think I’ve ever seen such beautiful baby yellow tomatoes as these. I love your method here and tips for freezing! You are the queen of making healthy easy. xo
Emilie says
Haha… yes. As long as you drag me on all of your fabulous hikes. xo
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
No doubt a garden feels like another room. I had one when I shared it with our neighbors…. slowly but surely due to work demands of other tenders, I inherited the work load. Unfortunately, the garden is no more and now I garden out of pots! It is so nice though when little surprises appear in the unkept garden. What a pleasure. And, what a fabulous, simple recipe, Emilie, and how handy is it to have a delicious bag of salsa on the ready when you are! Thank you for this versatile, delicious recipe!
Emilie says
Isn’t it? It’s room that doesn’t clean (or weed, I should say) itself! Before we moved into this house which had a pre-existing garden, I planted out of pots too. I loved it! Many of my herbs still grow in pots, which I think they prefer sometimes due water drainage. I just wish those pots would last inside when the cold weather rolls around… xo
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I had no idea you could freeze salsa so this is a brilliant tip! And aren’t sun golds the best? I find myself eating them by the handful, straight from the vine ;).
Emilie says
Me too! They’re so warm and sweet when picked straight from the vine. What a treat! Plus, and this is going to sound so weird, I love the way hands smell after picking tomatoes from the garden; it’s that fresh tomato leaf scent that makes me swoon…
Laney (Ortensia Blu) says
Beautiful recipe (as always:) – but don’t you have squirrels on Long Island?? Or have they just moved up here to snack on our tomatoes?? xo
Emilie says
Yes darling, but they prefer to live with you ;) You’re cooking must be better… xx
Michelle (Supper with Michelle) says
Wow! Absolutely adore those cute gold tomatoes and your salsa looks delish! I will definitely plant some next year…
Emilie says
Hey Michelle! I mentioned to Jennifer (above) that sun golds are incredibly easy to maintain. And my thumb is not green! It’s so worth it too, because of their unique sweetness!
Emilie says
Hi Julia! Thank you! Bell peppers for flavor are essential, in my opinion. Right now, the ones that we’re getting from my CSA are top notch- they’re not all water logged and crazy expensive like store-bought bell peppers. I’ve found that frozen salsa is best when incorporated into your cooking, which happens to be great when you’re short on ideas (adds instant flavor). Make and serve it fresh for when you want to enjoy with chips :)
Julia says
This salsa is goooooorgeous! I love the added bell pepper and herbs. SO flavorful and pretty. I’ve never frozen a big batch of salsa before, and I’m loving this genius idea. Well played, m’dear!
Kelly @ Inspired Edibles says
Heeheeh, that’s why we like to keep our parties in the family so we can keep heapin’ on the garlic shamelessly! (and onion, which is probably even more odoriferous ;-) ). Delightful little salsa, so beautiful too (not sure why but I have an irresistible urge to add a bit of pickled artichoke to the mix…) – your photos are lovely and full of warmth.
Emilie says
Ah yes, strength in numbers! I love all things pickled and I would totally try some artichokes in here… maybe with pickled jalapeños too ;) xx
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
Beautiful salsa – I love its colour! And great idea on draining and freezing the liquid for future uses. Perfect tips for those who are having issues with too juicy salsa :)
Emilie says
Hi Jennifer! It was surprising to extract about 1 full cup of liquid from those tomatoes. I just didn’t have the heart to throw it down the drain! It’s funny, I don’t save everything necessarily… mushroom stems for stock? Nope. Pumpkin seeds? Sometimes. Potato peel? LOL. Saving the juice was easy enough to do; the hard part will be remembering to use it ;)
Kathryn @ The Scratch Artist says
SOOO beautiful! I love sun gold tomatoes. However, I doubt I could ever make a salsa with them…as soon as they are in my hands they end up in my mouth! Also, thanks for the tip about draining out the salsa “juice” and using it to season other dishes. Brilliant. Since you don’t remember the Chef’s name I’m going to give you all the credit :-)
Emilie says
Oh, me too! That’s where the rest of them went ;) My boys just picked another giant bowl of tomatoes yesterday and I’ve been figuring out ways to use them up. I think I’ll be making another tomato sauce for pasta xx
Donna Castellano says
Oh my gosh! What’s not to love about this!? Capturing the flavors and colors of summer in a ziplock bag…I can’t think of anything better! Simply gorgeous!
Emilie says
Haha… well put! I’m definitely in late summer/early fall nesting mode for sure. Thank you, Donna! xx
Kalee says
Your salsa looks beautiful and delicious! Next year I’ll have to grow some gold tomatoes. They look gorgeous :)
Emilie says
Hi Kalee! Sun golds are incredibly easy to grow- take it from me, the ‘non-gardener’. We only watered our plants a few times this summer, and the let the rain take care of the rest. They grew to be monsters! Sun golds are the epitome of low-maintenance! xx
Sarah | Well and Full says
I promise I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the most beautiful salsas I’ve ever seen!! I just love all the colors, it’s really the epitome of the Indian Summer produce. :)
Emilie says
Thank you, Sarah! We are so lucky to have such wonderful tomatoes still growing strong in our garden. September is by far my favorite month! xx
Emilie says
Allyson, I love your baked potato idea! Sounds perfect :) xx
Allyson says
The salsa looks like it would be sunshine on a cold winter day. I also love to add salsa to baked potatoes.
Donna says
I recently discovered your blog and I am in love! I have two pints of cherry tomatoes just begging to be made into salsa. I never thought of freezing it. Ingenious!
Emilie says
Hi Donna! Welcome! Aren’t fresh tomatoes the best this time of year? If you’d like to enjoy this salsa with chips, I recommend making (and eating) on the same day. This salsa defrosted is excellent for all sorts of additional uses as listed above! I hope you give this recipe a try.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Funny, I’ve never put salsa in the freezer but that totally makes sense! Love this golden version :)
Emilie says
Hi Katrina! To be honest, I probably never would’ve thought to do this without a surplus of garden tomatoes to use up. I just defrosted a small packet this morning and ate it with smashed avocado on toast.