Mango Salsa

This recipe was the result of my overflowing load of summer tomatoes growing in the garden and the ripe mango sitting on my countertop, and I'm delighted with the outcome. I've been experimenting with spice and sweetness more, and the pairing of the mango and jalapeno provides just the right balance.

Great with chips or as a topping for taco night, this salsa is filled with the goodness of fresh ingredients.

Important Ingredients

• Mango. — Mango is our signature ingredient and adds the sweetness to this salsa.

• Lime. — The lime in this recipe adds the needed citrus and acid to complement the mango and jalapeno, and the result isn't the same without it.

The Perfect Ripe Mango

Both green and red mangos work great in this recipe, and I tend to purchase whichever my local store has available at the time. Red mangos tend to change to a bright red/yellow color when ripe, but green mangos either stay green or only slightly turn yellow, which is why judging ripeness by color alone doesn't always work. The best way to tell if your mango is ripe is by the feel. An unripe mango is very firm to the touch and will have no give to it when squeezed. A ripe mango will allow you to press gently into the surface of the skin.

Mangos get sweeter the more ripe they get, and they don't spoil quickly, so don't be afraid to give a soft mango an extra day or two to sweeten further. You can also put ripe mangos in the fridge until ready to use. They can be stored for up to a week in the fridge when ripe.

How to Make this Recipe

Peel and chop the mango. A small paring knife tends to the do the best at slicing beneath the skin of the mango. Once the skin is removed, slice carefully around the seed to remove the flesh.

Chop the onion, tomatoes, and cilantro. The onion, tomatoes, and cilantro can all be chopped as coursely as preferred. I like smaller bites, so I tend to keep my onion closer to a dice than a chop, but this recipe is super flexible.

Dice the jalapeno. Dice the jalapeno finely. I like to slice the jalapeno with a serrated kitchen knife, as it catches well on the slick skin of the jalapeno, then I use a chef knife to quickly dice up the slices. The finer pieces allows the heat of the recipe to spread throughout the salsa.

Zest and juice the lemon. Zest the lemon and juice it, then add both to the bowl of salsa. Add the salt and give a few stirs, and that's it!

Add sea salt. Lastly, sprinkle half of the sea salt over the salsa, stir, then sprinkle the remaining sea salt, and stir again.

Recipe Notes

Choose your spice level. I prefer to include all of the jalapeno seeds in this recipe, and the spice is right around the level of a medium salsa. If you prefer mild salsa, feel free to omit some or all of the jalapeno seeds.