I LOVE fresh salsa. I enjoy it with chips, vegetables, on grilled meat and fish — I even love it on scrambled eggs. Salsa is healthy to begin with, but fermenting it makes it even more nutritious and delicious.
This recipe couldn’t be simpler. You can use your favorite salsa recipe, adding culture starter or water kefir to start the fermentation process. I like my salsa on the spicy side, and have found this recipe works well and keeps well. Once the salsa is fermented, it keeps in your refrigerator for up to 6 months.
It is easy to customize this basic recipe, utilizing what you have on hand or what is in season. I have used cherry tomatoes, kumatos (brown tomatoes) and Roma tomatoes, many different types of hot peppers, and occasionally added sweet pepper. You can use the culture starter or water kefir, but the salsa will ferment on its own using salt and water.
Salsa has a wonderful flavor after the ingredients have been fermenting together for 2 days. After 2 days, I store my salsa in the refrigerator, so I always have some to whip out for impromptu guests or enhance my meals.

Fermented Salsa Fresca
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet or red onion diced
- 6 large tomatoes cored, seeded and chopped in chunks larger than onion
- 1 hot pepper seeded and chopped- like a jalapeño or Serrano pepper
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- Juice from 1 lime and 1 lemon
- 3 tsp. Sea salt
- Fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
- Place salsa in jars making sure vegetables are submerged. Add additional filtered water if necessary.
- Ferment for 2 days at room temperature.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.