Cranberry Salsa - A Favorite for the Holidays

Prepare a few spicy favorites this holiday season to heat up the occasion.

A few jalapenos round out this Cranberry Salsa recipe. Great with grilled or roasted turkey and all the trimmings.

2 cups chopped fresh cranberries (usually available only during the holiday season)
1 large orange, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 teaspoons grated ginger
3 jalapeno chiles, stems removed, chopped
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

Combine all the ingredients and allow to sit while the turkey is cooking, to blend the flavors.

Beating the Heat!

The Hot Habanero Chil Pepper

The Hot Habanero Chile Pepper

A chile’s heat is produced in the placenta - the sack under the stem - and carried in the seeds and veins of the chile pepper.

If you want to lower the heat and up the flavor, then simply remove the seeds and veins. Additionally, adding fruit will help lower the thermostat.

Or, if you want to crank up the heat, then chop the seeds to release more of the capsaicin.

When preparing dishes with chile peppers, some cooks protect their hands with gloves when handling the chiles.

Yucatan Salsa Fresca

The Sandia Chile Pepper

The Sandia Chile Pepper

Hot Salsa Recipe for Canning or Serving

6 serrano or jalapeno chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced

1 large onion, either yellow or purple, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped very fine

2 bunches finely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup, or less to taste, red wine vinegar

Mix all of the ingredients together and let stand at room temperature for at least an hour.

Keep refrigerated after use.

Chili Pepper Water - This One’s Hot

This recipe is Hot! the chiles tend to settle into the bottom of the container in which you store the sauce. So, before you use the sauce, be sure to shake the container to distribute the chiles evenly.

2 red jalepeno or serrano chilies, stems and seeds removed, cut in half

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 clove garlic

Pinch of salt

2 cups water, divided

Place the chiles, ginger, vinegar, garlic, and salt in a blender or food processor along with 1/3 cup of the water and puree until smooth.