John’s Sweet and Super Hot Salsa

Serves - ​6-9

You will need:

★ ​Food processor or blender

★ Measuring Spoon
★ Mixing Bowl
★ Cutting Board
★ Chef’s Knife

Ingredients*:

● 4 ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered

● 1 red onion, peeled and quartered
● 3 garlic cloves, peeled
● 3 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded
● 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
 ● 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
● 1 tablespoon ground cumin
● 2-3 teaspoons sugar
● 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
● 15 ounces crushed San Marzano tomatoes (1 can)
● 4.5 ounces diced green chiles (mild, medium, or hot) (1 can)
● ¼ of a Reaper Pepper
● ¼ of a Trinidad Scorpion Pepper
● ¼ of a Dragon’s Breath Pepper
● 1 teaspoon of V8 Splash

Instructions:

Paso uno - Combine the fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic, all peppers, cilantro, lime juice, cumin,
sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until the contents are fine and well blended.

Paso dos - Pour in the crushed tomatoes and green chiles. Purée until mostly smooth. Serve
immediately or refrigerate.

What we tried:​ I found a salsa recipe online that I thought was good and then I tried a couple of
different ways to change it more to my liking. I tried sweetening it first, and, believe it or not,
mango V8 Splash was the first thing that came to mind. My dad was the person that suggested
it, actually. We tried it with a teaspoon at first, and that tasted pretty good. Then we added
lemon juice- about a capful- to the first batch that I brought to school for testing. That added a
sour taste, but I wanted to see what other students would think. Some people said it was pretty
good, but others said they didn’t like it at all. The opinions were very split.

In the second batch, I tried to make things more like a restaurant style- something less spicy,
that more people would like. Just because ​I​ like spicy, doesn’t mean everyone does. That batch
was actually not that bad. A lot of people liked it. They even told me that I should have my own
salsa restaurant. What I liked about that batch was that there was more flavor than the spicy
version. I learned that when things are too spicy, our ability to taste distinct flavors is inhibited.

I went back to the spicy version with the Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion, and Dragon’s Breath
because I really like spicy stuff.

Why this works: ​The molecule capsaicin is responsible for the “pungency” (spiciness) of a food.
Capsaicin sends messages activating your pain receptors. The pain receptors send messages to
your brain via nerve signals, where it is perceived as a sensation of heat and or pain and then
activates the C type class of the nervous system.
Personal Commentary:​ I have learned throughout this project of making salsa that the amounts
of pepper used can change the pungency of the salsa and makes it hotter with more peppers
and less spicy with a smaller amount of pepper used in the salsa. I have also learned that there
are different ways to sweeten the salsa like for example if you use V8 Splash that will make it
more sweet with a hint of mango or if you use pineapple juice like restaurant-style salsa it will
make it more of a sweet and sour flavor or if you use lemon juice it will just make it plain sour
which doesn't really taste good and go well with the pungency. I also learned there are many
ways of making salsa, you just need to use different peppers and juices.

Helpful hints:

● If you want the salsa to be less spicy you can change the amount of Jalapeno and Reaper
added to the salsa
● You can sweeten the salsa by adding a variety of juices from fruits such as
■ Lemon
■ Pineapple
■ Mango
■ Orange
■ Apple
■ Watermelon

*Recipe Source:

❖ https://www.aspicyperspective.com/best-homemade-salsa-recipe/
❖ http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150120-hidden-ways-your-tongue-tastes
❖ https://scienceandfooducla.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/capsaicin/