Here we explain how long your fresh homemade salsa will keep in the refrigerator
While there are times when store-bought salsa is perfectly fine, making fresh homemade salsa is a breeze. This condiment comes in many varieties, each with its own delicious use, but today we'll talk about classic pico de gallo, which is made raw with very few utensils and relative ease.
However simple your sauce recipe may be, washing and chopping the ingredients requires some effort, so it's important to keep in mind that you should consume your homemade sauce as soon as possible. In theory, it keeps well for a week in the refrigerator, but its optimal flavor diminishes considerably after a day or two, even in an airtight container at 4°C (39°F). It's also not suitable for freezing, as its high water content will cause your once-fresh vegetables to become too soft when frozen, resulting in a mushy paste upon thawing.
Why doesn't fresh salsa stay fresh longer?
The bright, juicy tomatoes that make up a bowl of fresh salsa also accelerate their spoilage. It's hard enough to keep them at their peak ripeness, even when stored at room temperature as they should be. If you dice them, they deteriorate even faster. Even if you remove the seeds, which is ideal for salsa (not to mention Bloody Marys), they'll still lose moisture over time, making your salsa thinner than you'd like. Hardier ingredients like onions and jalapeños will keep better, and salt and lime juice are natural preservatives, but forget about the integrity of cilantro. The leaves of this herb will start to wilt almost as soon as they're added to the mix.
Cooked salsa, like salsa verde, which combines fried tomatillos, onions, chiles, salt, and cilantro for a smooth, green finish, doesn't last much longer than fresh salsa. However, it keeps best for a week in the refrigerator. Because its texture is already broken down and the preservatives are pulverized, it's less likely to spoil. It also freezes better for a similar reason: there's less solid material for ice crystals to damage. So, if you need a salsa that will last, now might be the time to opt for a store-bought alternative. Jarred salsa can last up to a month if refrigerated after opening.
