For those of us who like to put food into jars, preserving locally-grown seasonal fruits & vegetables ensures that our raw ingredients have spent the least amount of time getting from farm-to-table, and it also means money stays in our communities; a winning combination.
Sometimes, when it comes to the produce I use for preserving, I have to veer off my usual Pacific Northwest path, and buy fruit from far away. When I do, it's usually for a very good reason. Last week, I had a wonderful lunch with a childhood friend and her mom. It wasn't so much that the food was especially good but that I got to spend a couple hours reminiscing about stuff that happened years ago, when we were teenagers, and well, that was the real treat.
At some point, our conversation predictably turned to canning, and I knew when my childhood friend Kelli's mom, Ella, told me her favorite thing in the world is Mango Salsa, I had to stir up a fresh batch...just for her.
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Finding high quality mangoes in Seattle is a cinch this time of year. Mexican mangoes are in season, probably on special at your local grocer (these were 2 for 99 cents) AND super tasty.
Chop the mango into chunks; uneven ones are fine.
This goes without saying I guess, but try to cut as much mango flesh off the weird flat pit as possible. If it was a rock, it would probably be a good skipper!
The vegetables -- green pepper, onion, tomatoes and (optionally) jalapeno pepper -- are chopped and added, along with sugar, salt and spices, to a large pan...
...and cooked very briefly before the remaining ingredients -- vinegar, fruit juice, and fresh herbs are added.
This salsa goes together so easily in one pot; its short cooking time not only helps the salsa maintain its fresh taste, but guarantees this to be an easy afternoon project.
It left me wondering why I don't make salsa all the time, and maybe, more importantly, why I don't get together with old friends more often.
