Container Gardening Salsa Recipe (Guide)

While it might be convenient to pick up pre-packaged salsas when you are doing your other grocery shopping, you may never again settle for mass-produced salsa products once you realize how easy it is to grow the ingredients just steps away from your kitchen.

There is nothing quite like the flavor and freshness of just-made salsas, which is something with which most of us in Southern California are familiar. Whether at a local salsa festival or your favorite Mexican restaurant, once you try fresh salsa, there is really no going back to the stuff you find on store shelves.

Of course, some folks continue to settle for sub-par salsa, but that is often only because they are not aware of how quick and easy it is to make homemade salsa that you can enjoy in all of its fresh glory. Plus, when you grow the ingredients right in your backyard, it really does not get any fresher.

Salsa ingredients can be grown in the ground, in raised garden beds or in hanging pots, but today we are going to talk about container salsa gardens, which are a great choice for folks with little extra space or little desire to tend a garden. Container gardens allow you to keep your most-often used ingredients close to your back door while, as an added bonus, adding color and texture to your patio, porch or balcony.

Container Salsa Garden Guide: What to Grow

There are three basic ingredients that should be included in your container salsa garden: tomatoes, onions and cilantro. These are the most basic salsa ingredients and can be used alone to create a simple, fresh salsa or as a foundation on which to create a unique salsa with fun additions.

Depending on what you like in your salsa and the level of heat preferred, here are some other ingredients you might want to add to your salsa container garden:

• Jalapenos
• Habanero chilies
• Serrano chilies
• Red bell peppers
• Green bell peppers
• Tomatillos
• Garlic
• Limes

How many plants you should plant depends on how often you want to make salsa and how much space you have for your container garden. If you have room, you will want to plant at least two tomato plants and two cilantro plants to ensure that you will have your salsa ingredients available throughout the season.

Container Salsa Garden Guide: Tips for Growing Salsa Ingredients

One of the great things about growing a salsa garden is that all of the ingredients are easy to grow and they can be grown together. For example, you can plant a tomato plant in the center of a container and plant onions or garlic around the edge of the same container. This space-saving method for growing your ingredients will allow you to grow everything you need to make salsa right on your patio. You can also plant your pepper plants in the center of a container and grow onions or cilantro around the edge.

For either tomatoes or peppers, using cages will help control your plants and make your container garden more attractive. It also helps you keep your taller plants from blocking the sun your smaller plants need.

Glazed pots are usually the most attractive and offer the most color choices, which gives you more options for matching or complementing your patio décor. Glazed pots also retain moisture better, which may allow you to water your container garden less often. However, if you are prone to overwatering, you may want to choose unglazed pots or grow bags, which more readily release excess moisture.

Because your planters will be sharing space with your outdoor living areas, you will likely want to top dress your pots so that you and your guests will not be looking at potting soil during your dinner party. You can use mulch, or you can use wood chips or bark that have not been color treated. You can also use gravel or small stones, both of which are available in bags at garden centers and home improvement centers. This allows you to purchase small amounts and to more easily get them from the store to your patio.

For specific tips on growing some of the most popular salsa ingredients, check out these previous posts:

Salsa Container Garden Guide: How to Make Salsa

There are tons of salsa recipes that range from basic salsa fresca to elaborate concoctions that include avocado, mango or citrus fruits. This is a very basic salsa recipe that can be made with just three ingredients, all of which can easily be grown on your patio. Starting from this recipe, you can experiment with other ingredients to find your favorites or perfect a salsa recipe that will impress your guests.

Basic Salsa Recipe

• 4 diced tomatoes
• 1 diced onion
• 1 handful of fresh, chopped cilantro

Optional:

• Lime juice
• Salt and pepper

Your recipe may vary a bit depending on the size of your produce. For example, if your tomatoes are small, you will likely need six or eight of them, instead of four. If your onions are large, you may only need one-half of an onion.

Once you have chopped and diced your ingredients, you simply mix them together in a bowl. The lime juice, salt and pepper can be added to enhance the flavors and customize your mix. Serve immediately for the freshest taste, or store covered in the refrigerator to preserve the freshness until guests arrive.

You can store your fresh salsa in the refrigerator for up to about five days. If you happen to have a bumper crop, you can preserve your salsa by canning it or ladle it into mason jars to give as gifts. If you are invited to any summer soirees, a mason jar of salsa makes a great hostess gift.

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