# Why is salsa from a jar so horrible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324 "2011-02-05T23:40:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/1 "2011-02-05T23:40:18Z")
There’s nothing better than fresh salsa for your tortilla chips when you’re at a Mexican restaurant. However, store-bought salsa from a jar tastes nothing like fresh salsa. To me, it’s barely even edible. Any restaurant that serves salsa from a jar shall feel my wrath. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/2 "2011-02-05T23:43:53Z")
Most salsa in a jar - actually, most anything in a jar - is loaded with salt. Between the salt on the chips and the salt in the salsa, it’s just too much. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/3 "2011-02-05T23:48:33Z")
Jarred salsa is cooked. I would presume fresh salsa is not. ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/4 "2011-02-05T23:51:52Z")
Freshly made things are usually better than things stored for longer term consumption. You make an important trade off when you buy stuff in cans and jars. You get the ability to buy stuff that you don’t plan on eating in the next few days, and in the case of resealable salsa jars, stuff you may plan on eating over several weeks. Taste does take a hit. Freezing is the same way, nothing frozen will ever taste as good as fresh. If you’re a true gourmand you’ll go to the store every few days and make all you meals fresh. If you’re someone who is willing to trade taste for convenience (and I’m definitely in that category) you’ll put stuff in the freezer and buy canned/jarred stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/5 "2011-02-05T23:53:30Z")
Anything fresh is going to be better than anything from a jar, because anything fresh is better than anything preserved. Having said that, there are some decent jarred salsas out there - not as good as if you make them yourself, but good. I like the Herdez line, for instance. Newman’s Own isn’t terrible either. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/6 "2011-02-06T00:37:08Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > Any restaurant that serves salsa from a jar shall feel my wrath. > [@runner pat](#): > > Jarred salsa is cooked. I would presume fresh salsa is not. Well, yes and no. In my experience most restaurant “fresh” salsa I have eaten is invariably made with some kind of cooked and processed, canned tomatoes… it just wouldn’t be right without them. I actually prefer canned tomatoes in my salsa over fresh, they are concentrated in flavor and much more ripe and of a better quality and variety than any fresh, flavorless, mealy abomination of a fresh tomato available at groceries or markets. I guess concentrated canned tomato strips make the best salsa. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/7 "2011-02-06T00:54:17Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Anything fresh is going to be better than anything from a jar, because anything fresh is better than anything preserved. > > Having said that, there are some decent jarred salsas out there - not as good as if you make them yourself, but good. I like the Herdez line, for instance. Newman’s Own isn’t terrible either. My husband swears that the Herdez chipotles in adobo sauce is heads and shoulders above any other brand. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/8 "2011-02-06T01:15:00Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > My husband swears that the Herdez chipotles in adobo sauce is heads and shoulders above any other brand. Another pretty good brand is El Pinto, made in New Mexico, and I also like La Victoria, which has several varieties, some much more flavorful than others. But by in large, fresh salsa is indeed much better than 95% of the jars on the market. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/9 "2011-02-06T01:58:25Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > My husband swears that the Herdez chipotles in adobo sauce is heads and shoulders above any other brand. Those are my favorite too. I think Herdez does the best adobo sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/10 "2011-02-06T03:03:27Z")
I actually don’t think jarred salsa is all that bad, and I’m the type of person who likes everything better homemade. In fact, I think those little cans of Herdez salsa are excellent, and use them quite a bit. Fresh salsa is good, but it’s not always better than jarred/canned in my opinion. I’ve had plenty of fresh salsa made with tasteless winter tomatos, for example, that has been worse than jarred salsa. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/11 "2011-02-06T03:39:44Z")
Mrs. Renfro’s is pretty good, too. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/12 "2011-02-06T04:11:09Z")
I think it’s a matter of taste more than fresh vs. jarred. A local restaurant sells their salsa in local stores, and I haven’t perceived a significant difference between what they serve at the restaurant and what they sell in jars. I find some jarred salsa to be good, and some to be yuck. But I also find some fresh salsa to be yuck, and fresh yuck is still yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eugene_of_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/13 "2011-02-06T11:21:58Z")
Another vote for Herdez. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/14 "2011-02-06T12:45:00Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Another pretty good brand is El Pinto, made in New Mexico, and I also like La Victoria, which has several varieties, some much more flavorful than others. > > But by in large, fresh salsa is indeed much better than 95% of the jars on the market. Is El Pinto still made in New Mexico? I thought they just sold the recipe. Of course, I also haven’t been to the restaurant in years so I can’t say how the jarred stuff compares. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/15 "2011-02-06T12:52:09Z")
I’m only guessing here, but I reckon it’s because it’s from a jar. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/16 "2011-02-06T14:19:02Z")
I think the stuff at restaurants can taste better because they don’t have to appeal to everyone. They don’t have food scientists trying to figure out what absolutely everyone will at least tolerate. The best local salsa is from a restaurant called “El Acapulco,” and it is made with canned tomatoes, lime, some type of pepper, and cilantro (amongst other ingredients I can’t directly identify.) I love it, as do most of the people around here, but from what I hear on around here, a lot of people would hate it, both for the cilantro and the relatively low spice content (although they do provide store bought “hot sauce” if you want to add heat). ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/17 "2011-02-06T14:29:29Z")
While the tomatoes in restaurant salsa may be canned, the rest of the stuff generally isn’t, while \*everything \*in the jarred salsa is cooked - it’s an inevitable part of the canning process. Canned/cooked garlic, onions, jalapenos, cilantro, etc. lose their, for lack of a better word, “bright” notes. The flavors that sit on “top” of the flavor profile are flattened and dulled, and with salsa, you really miss that. Then they dump a bunch of salt and often sugar in there to try and make up for those lost flavors, and it just compounds the tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/18 "2011-02-06T14:57:01Z")
Apparently I don’t know nothin’, because I LIKE salsa in a jar. (I can’t say I’ve had any fresh made except at Fresnos, where I get a little cup of chopped tomatoes and chiles, and didn’t think much of that because it tasted exactly like a can of Ro-tel ). There seem to be dozens of brands in the store, green chile, fire-roasted, chipotle, as well as ‘southwestern’ and the usual vats of peach, pineapple, mild, medium, and hot red stuff. With grated cheese and chips, it makes for a VERY salty plate of nachos, though, so we don’t have them very often. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/19 "2011-02-06T15:03:17Z")
Even homemade salsa that has been in the fridge for a while tastes bland and muddled. Salsa hits perfection in a 6 hour range or so. The flavors meld perfectly and make a perfect condiment Before that it is just separate stuff and tastes like you dumped you salad in your soup and ate it that way. Much after 24 hours or so the the flavors mingle in to indistinguishable flavor mush. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324/20 "2011-02-06T15:21:42Z")
I make my own. I routinely use canned tomatos. And it still tastes a hundred times better. Not only that, but I also can make an ass load more for a fraction of the cost. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-salsa-from-a-jar-so-horrible/570324.md?page=2)