# Mrs Wages salsa mix



## SouthCentralUS

Everyone raves about Mrs Wages salsa mix so I tried some. It is good but a $3 pkg makes 5-6 pints of salsa mixed with 6 pounds of tomatoes. I bought another pkg to try to make a copy cat.

This is the list of ingredients exactly as they appear on the pkg:

Dehydrated vegetables (onion, green bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, chili pepper, garlic), salt, spices.

The ingredients is exactly one cup dry measure. I think I will measure the onion and peppers equally to ¾ cup and use ¼ cup of garlic. The spices I am not sure about. The mix has a chili powder smell so that is one spice but there is probably some cumin also. I just don’t know how much of each spice to add. Any thoughts?


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## Sentry18

My wife started out using Mrs. Wages salsa mix (which is pretty good stuff for a pre-made mix). Now she makes her own dry mix using paprika, crushed red pepper, cumin, dried cilantro, dried garlic, dried onion, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. I think she also uses something from Pampered Chef too - Southwest Seasoning I think. She adds fresh lime juice, onion, green peppers, garlic and jalapeno peppers to the tomatoes. I am not 100% sure as the kitchen is a family-free zone when she is in salsa mode.


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## kappydell

I make my own based on this recipe - but salsa is one of those things that allow indefinite tweaking....It is SOOOOO much cheaper than buying it ready made or even buying a mix.....

MILD SALSA (fresh or canned)
FOR 14 PINTS (a canner load...) 
24 c quartered tomatoes 
4 c white vinegar 
2 large minced onions 
4 cloves minced garlic 
1 1/4 c minced peppers (bell or hot 
or any combination to taste)

FOR ONE PINT (for right away....)
1 3/4 c quartered tomatoes
2 1/4 TB white vinegar
1/8th onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 TB minced peppers of choice

Combine tomatoes and vinegar in non-reactive pot. Simmer until tomatoes are soft (45 min?)
Mince other items while they cook, add to tomatoes. Simmer down to half volume (about 1 hour). Refrigerate the salsa you will use right away, otherwise can it: 
Ladle hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Process in hot water bath 15 min. Cool undisturbed 12 hours. Takes 6 months for flavors to fully blend, but OK fresh, too. May be made hotter to taste by substituting hot peppers for some of the sweet ones. I use all sweet bells for a mild salsa.

Variations: 
1) this can be made with canned tomatoes - I use chopped tomatoes & drain off excess liquid (put in chili). You won’t have to cook it down as long - just bring to a simmer. Good if you want it right away. 
2) other tomatoes, canned or fresh can be used but texture will vary wildly. Adding some tomato paste helps it thicken up a bit. Plum tomatoes make the least watery salsa.
3) if it comes out too liquid (and you used chopped tomatoes) just drain some liquid off (add to cooked beans to liven them up). 
5) Add more vinegar if you like it tarter like I do; some add chili powder, tabasco, etc. I even use lime juice when limes are cheap.
6) If you have no garlic or onions, you can use garlic or onion powder. No hot peppers? Toss in some chopped pickled jalapeno pepper slices to taste. Really the only thing you absolutely have to put in is the tomatoes and the vinegar (but that would be pretty boring salsa).


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## Grimm

kappydell said:


> I make my own based on this recipe - but salsa is one of those things that allow indefinite tweaking....It is SOOOOO much cheaper than buying it ready made or even buying a mix.....
> 
> MILD SALSA (fresh or canned)
> FOR 14 PINTS (a canner load...)
> 24 c quartered tomatoes
> 4 c white vinegar
> 2 large minced onions
> 4 cloves minced garlic
> 1 1/4 c minced peppers (bell or hot
> or any combination to taste)
> 
> FOR ONE PINT (for right away....)
> 1 3/4 c quartered tomatoes
> 2 1/4 TB white vinegar
> 1/8th onion
> 1/4 tsp minced garlic
> 1 1/2 TB minced peppers of choice
> 
> Combine tomatoes and vinegar in non-reactive pot. Simmer until tomatoes are soft (45 min?)
> Mince other items while they cook, add to tomatoes. Simmer down to half volume (about 1 hour). Refrigerate the salsa you will use right away, otherwise can it:
> Ladle hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Process in hot water bath 15 min. Cool undisturbed 12 hours. Takes 6 months for flavors to fully blend, but OK fresh, too. May be made hotter to taste by substituting hot peppers for some of the sweet ones. I use all sweet bells for a mild salsa.
> 
> Variations:
> 1) this can be made with canned tomatoes - I use chopped tomatoes & drain off excess liquid (put in chili). You won't have to cook it down as long - just bring to a simmer. Good if you want it right away.
> 2) other tomatoes, canned or fresh can be used but texture will vary wildly. Adding some tomato paste helps it thicken up a bit. Plum tomatoes make the least watery salsa.
> 3) if it comes out too liquid (and you used chopped tomatoes) just drain some liquid off (add to cooked beans to liven them up).
> 5) Add more vinegar if you like it tarter like I do; some add chili powder, tabasco, etc. I even use lime juice when limes are cheap.
> 6) If you have no garlic or onions, you can use garlic or onion powder. No hot peppers? Toss in some chopped pickled jalapeno pepper slices to taste. Really the only thing you absolutely have to put in is the tomatoes and the vinegar (but that would be pretty boring salsa).


I know what I'm doing this week!


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## BrianAz

Salsa is not salsa without cilantro.....just sayin'.


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## Sentry18

Agreed! And cilantro that isn't fresh is really called parsley. I use a lot of dried or dehydrated seasonings, cilantro is not one of them.


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## ClemKadiddlehopper

I am one of those people with a genetic intolerance to cilantro. I would be better off sucking back a bottle of dish soap or snacking on a bar of soap than attempting to eat something that was in the same room as cilantro; only a slight exageration.

I kid you not, it only takes a speck of cilantro the size of a red pepper flake to ruin a plate full of food for me. A cilantro contaminated cutting board will also do the trick. I shudder just thinking about that nasty weed lurking in my food, waiting to take me down for the count.


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## Sentry18

I have never felt so much empathy. 

You would not be able to live in my house. We use fresh cilantro in most of our recipes. So much so we have two windows sill planters full of fresh cilantro and still end up buying it at the farmers market and grocery store. The only food allergy I have is fish. I have never been tested but I can only presume because my taste buds thoroughly reject it. Blech.


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## ClemKadiddlehopper

It's not an allergy. I won't physically die from eating the stuff. It just tastes like the strongest soap you can imagine. About 15-20 percent of the population has this problem. It tends to be genetic. My son has it, but my daughters do not. It is near impossible to choke cilantro down if one has the worst form of the intolerance. 

Both soap and cilantro contain aldehyde which gives off the taste and smell of soap. Incredibly unlucky people have highly sensitve receptors to aldehyde.

Check out the stories section of ihatecilantro.com


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## Grimm

ClemKadiddlehopper said:


> It's not an allergy. I won't physically die from eating the stuff. It just tastes like the strongest soap you can imagine. About 15-20 percent of the population has this problem. It tends to be genetic. My son has it, but my daughters do not. It is near impossible to choke cilantro down if one has the worst form of the intolerance.
> 
> Both soap and cilantro contain aldehyde which gives off the taste and smell of soap. Incredibly unlucky people have highly sensitve receptors to aldehyde.
> 
> Check out the stories section of ihatecilantro.com


K seems to be the same way. He can't stand it but I will drown my food with it.

:lick:
:yummy:


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## Sentry18

My family must be in the 80 percentile then. Woo Hoo! If one of my kids was intolerant of cilantro they would likely starve to death. Or easy string cheese all day.

Okay so I am not "allergic" to fish, I am fish-intolerant. If fish tasted like soap I could survive it, but it tastes far far worse. Even the smell of fish cooking makes me gag.


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## ClemKadiddlehopper

Sentry18 said:


> My family must be in the 80 percentile then. Woo Hoo! If one of my kids was intolerant of cilantro they would likely starve to death. Or easy string cheese all day.
> 
> Okay so I am not "allergic" to fish, I am fish-intolerant. If fish tasted like soap I could survive it, but it tastes far far worse. Even the smell of fish cooking makes me gag.


So than, my eating cilantro would be about on par with you having to eat lutefisk and or smell it cooking and beleive me the stench is great even for those with strong stomaches and a love for the stuff. The only difference is that lutefisk is usually served once a year around christmas and cilantro contaminates most foods these days, each and every day of the year. Eating out is a nightmare and not to be approached without extreme caution.

Your family is indeed fortunate. A side benefit is that you don't have to worry about 20% of the golden hoard raiding your pantry when SHTF. Just hang a bouquet of cilantro on your gate.

The other good news is that I didn't see any cilantro or fish in the bacon candy recipe. Common ground there. artydance:


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