Bottom Line: The Phoenix Fire, Vampire’s Bane, and Day Walker salsas from Mrs. McArthur deliver first-rate craft sauces that pack quite a bit of heat.
Craft salsas have become quite common lately, and when I find someone who makes them locally, I try to give them my support. The sauces from Mrs. McArthur (aka Lady McArthur, aka The Pepper Lady) fall into that category, and she offers some that will really light you up! She makes her products...
Bottom Line: The Ghost Pepper Habanero Salsa from Pace has the taste you expect from the people who know how to make salsa, and it brings a good kick of heat.
Pace Picante Sauce has long been one of my go-to salsas among those put out by the major brands (more on that here). It is reliable and quite tasty and it is made right here in Texas by people who know what salsa should taste like, and it used to be that their Hot version really packed...
Bottom Line: The new salsas from Cholula do not bring a lot of heat, but they do deliver on taste.
Cholula is best known for the wood-topped bottles of hot sauce that have become ubiquitous in many eating establishments across the country. They bill themselves as the “No. 1 Mexican Hot Sauce in the World” and they are probably second to only Tabasco in this country in name recognition. Over the years, they have put out a variety of flavors,...
Bottom Line: Trader Joe’s Guajillo Salsa is rich and hearty with a nice kick and has many different uses.
When I pay a visit to Trader Joe’s, there are several must-have items that I pick up pretty much every time such as their Habanera Hot Sauce, Italian Bomba Sauce, and Crispy Thai Chilis and Sesame Seeds. On a recent visit, I noticed their Guajillo Salsa and wondered how that had never caught my eye before. I grabbed a jar of the...
Bottom Line: As the name suggests, Picklesmash Hot Salsa is a salsa for pickle lovers and it delivers a nice burn as well.
Salsa is a simple thing, usually consisting of tomatoes, onions, chilis, and a few other veggies and/or fruits along with herbs and spices. But out of all the times I have made salsa (and that’s quite a lot), I’ve never thought about adding pickles to the mix. After tasting Picklesmash Salsa, though, I am going to be...
Bottom Line: While not very hot, the Two Sisters Salsas deliver great taste and they are very fresh.
You may not expect to find good salsa coming out of Cajun Country, but Two Sisters Salsa has been cooking up the stuff for over ten years in Plaucheville, LA, and this Texan will tell you that they are doing a heck of a job. They use what they claim are “authentic Cajun recipes”, but the salsa they make would go perfectly well with a bowl of...
Bottom Line: This is definitely pricey, but it delivers a smoky kick and I consider it among the champagne of salsas.
There are lots of salsas out there on the store shelves, many of them quite reasonably priced. And even the cheap ones are not that bad, especially if you make modifications of your own to pick up the flavor. And you can make salsa yourself pretty darn easily (like this recipe) without spending a lot of money. So it takes a lot...
Bottom Line: This fresh-made salsa delivers an explosion of flavor with a nice amount of zing.
Are you looking for a good jar of salsa? Then just mosey on down to your local market and grab a bottle of 2 Sisters' Salsa made right there in Louisiana by people who know what salsa should taste like. Wait! What? Salsa from Lewsiana? Who ever heard of such a thing? It may seem like an odd place to make a Mexican condiment, but after chowing down on a...