Have you ever tasted salsa made from tomatoes and peppers picked that same afternoon? Once you do, the jar from the store just doesn't compare. The good news is you don't need a fancy recipe for great salsa. You need great ingredients, and four packets of seed will grow nearly all of them. Here's what to plant, how to time it, and how to get the most out of your salsa garden.
Why grow a salsa garden?
Salsa is one of my favorite things to make from the garden. I love canning it, and there's nothing like opening a jar of homemade salsa in the middle of a Minnesota winter. Growing your own lets you control the heat, the texture and the sweetness, and it's a fun, manageable project if you're new to vegetables.
Best of all, these four crops grow happily together in one bed or a few large containers.
1. The base: a meaty paste tomato
Big, juicy slicing tomatoes make watery salsa. For salsa, you want a paste tomato with thick walls, fewer seeds and less juice.
- Roma (about 75 to 80 days from transplant): dense, rich and reliable. Romas hold their shape when chopped for fresh salsa, and they cook down quickly for canning because there's less water to simmer off.
Timing: Start tomato seeds indoors about 6 to 8 weeks before your last spring frost. Transplant outside once nights stay above 50°F. In zone 5a, that's often late May or early June.
2. The heat: jalapeño or serrano
Peppers bring both heat and flavor, so pick the level you like.
- Jalapeño (about 70 to 80 days from transplant): the classic. Medium heat with a fresh, green crunch. Productive plants give you plenty for fresh salsa and canning.
- Serrano (about 75 to 85 days from transplant): smaller, thinner-walled and noticeably hotter. A couple of serranos go a long way.
Timing: Peppers are slow starters. Sow them indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost, and keep the soil warm (around 75 to 85°F) for good germination. Peppers sulk in cold soil, so wait until it has warmed before planting out.
3. The fresh note: cilantro
Fresh cilantro is what makes salsa taste bright. The catch? Cilantro loves cool weather and tends to bolt (flower and turn bitter) just as summer heat arrives, right before your tomatoes ripen.
- Cilantro (about 50 to 55 days for leaves): sow seed directly about 1/4 inch deep.
Timing: Sow a short row every 2 to 3 weeks from spring into summer, and tuck later sowings into the afternoon shade of your tomato plants. That way you'll have fresh leaves ready when the first Romas turn red. If some plants do bolt, let them go. The green seeds are coriander, and the flowers attract helpful insects.
4. The crunch: bunching onions
A clean, crisp onion bite ties everything together, and bunching onions are about the easiest onions you can grow.
- Tokyo Long White (about 65 days): long white stems and mild flavor. They take up very little room, and you can start pulling them young.
Timing: Sow directly in early spring, about 1/4 inch deep, or start indoors with your peppers. Bunching onions handle cool weather well.
Bonus: tomatillos for salsa verde
If you'd like a green salsa too, add a couple of Tomatillo Verde plants. Grow them like tomatoes, and plant at least two, since tomatillos need a partner for good fruit set.
Tips for your best salsa harvest
- Sun: Tomatoes and peppers need at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun.
- Water: Water deeply and evenly, about an inch a week. Uneven watering can lead to blossom end rot on tomatoes.
- Mulch: A layer of straw or shredded leaves keeps soil moisture steady and cuts down on weeding.
- Pick ripe: Harvest Romas when fully red and slightly soft. Jalapeños can be picked green, or left to turn red for a sweeter, hotter pepper.
- Canning: If you're putting salsa up, always follow a tested canning recipe, like those from the National Center for Home Food Preservation or Ball, and don't change the ratio of vegetables to acid.
Plant a menu, not just a garden
With one tomato, one pepper, some cilantro and a row of onions, you've got a salsa garden that will keep your table (and maybe your pantry shelf) full all season. Grab these seeds together and you'll easily clear our free shipping on seed orders over $35 while you're at it. You'll find them all in our Heirloom Vegetable Collection.
More growing guides