Publix Organic Salsa – Hot (Greenwise) Review
Author’s note: Not a paid review! This is my own silly, unbiased opinion. I have no affiliation with Publix. I like onions.
Chunky like a well-fed cat.
I regret to inform you, this salsa is not particularly spicy. The label says “Hot.” It’s not what I would call hot. It’s barely medium. Whatever that means. As a Floridian, I know “heat” is a subjective topic. But still.
Maybe the pain receptors on my tongue have been burned away by repeated spicy food shenanigans. If so, I blame my sister. Maybe I’ve lost all sense of perspective. Perhaps I am a deranged foodie soul, lost in a forest of gustatory deception. But this salsa just does not taste “hot” to me. Sorry.
If you are a spicy food fan, you will probably be equally disappointed. Here is a little virtual hug to soothe you. *hug*
Needs more heat
Fortunately, the lack of heat was easily remedied by dumping a completely irresponsible quantity of cheap hot sauce into the salsa, and mixing it up. But still. I paid for hot salsa, and I deserve hot salsa. *sobs quietly while clutching shriveled wallet*
Anyway. This is a Publix Greenwise item, which is their store-brand Organic / Natural food label. Even without the desired spiciness, there are some things I really like about this salsa. And now I will tell you all about them, with much more detail than you actually wanted. There is still time to escape my antics. Run away, run away!
Textures
For a jarred, shelf-stable salsa (as opposed to fresh, refrigerated product), Publix has done a good job keeping the crispness in certain vegetables, like the green peppers and jalapenos.
The onions seem pretty fresh, too — even though the label informs us otherwise (more about that later). In fact, the onions make a delightful crunchity-crunch sound as I bite into them. I’m a huge fan of onions, including raw onions, so this made me happy. “A house without onions is not a home.” That’s my mantra. If you are a miserable onion-hater, the crunchy onions in this salsa may make you very sad. But now you know.
There are also plenty of perky diced garlic fragments (likewise, not actually fresh, despite the appearance).
Flavors
I enjoyed the balance of flavors in this salsa. There’s a pleasant sweetness from the ripe, brightly colored tomatoes (and added sugar — more about that later). The garlic is surprisingly mellow, but rounds out the flavors nicely. Although there is added vinegar in this salsa, it isn’t offensively twangy. And — while not adequately “hot” — there’s enough spicy jalapeno to remind you this is salsa.
Chunky dipping woes
This is definitely a “chunky” salsa. Chunky, like a well-fed cat. I’m somewhat neutral when it comes to salsa texture — I like both chunky AND blended versions. Because the lumps of vegetables are so big, I had more difficulty “dipping” into this salsa — I ended up using a spoon to scoop the chunks onto each bite of my quesadillas. Otherwise, I was just getting watery tomato juice. You know.
What did I make with my salsa?
Black Bean Soup
True story: I bought this salsa to make a black bean soup. The (super easy) recipe calls for two cans of black beans, half a jar of salsa, and 2 cups broth. You mash one can of beans, but leave the other can of beans whole. Just mix everything together and heat in a pot on the stove. I typically add about a cup of frozen or canned corn kernels to mine, too. I’ve made this soup dozens of times over the years — I think I got the recipe from the back of a can of beans!
But, um, I never got around to actually making soup this time. I had good soup intentions. But, the road to hell is paved with good soup intentions. Probably.
Cheddar and Black Bean Quesadillas
Instead, I ate my salsa with cheddar-and-black bean quesadillas.
I used about 1/8 cup black beans and 2-3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese per mini quesadilla (these are 5-inch tortillas). I added some thinly sliced red onion, and served with full-fat greek yogurt and (obviously) salsa.
Because I’m a glutton for spiciness, I drizzled more hot sauce inside AND outside my quesadillas, too.
Egg Sandwich with Salsa and Parmesan
I also added some salsa to my egg sandwiches — which was a little tricky, because there is so much runny tomato juice here. I let the juice run into the pan and evaporate while the rest of the egg cooked. The sweet salsa flavor complimented the blandness of the egg and the tangy sourdough bread. There is shaved parmesan inside, too.
(By the way, this is Publix Greenwise Organic Sourdough Take-and-Bake Bread. You can read my review of it here. I said in my review that I wouldn’t make sandwiches out of it. But then I did. I did make a sandwich. I lied.)
Nutrition Facts in Publix Greenwise Salsa
Here are the nutrition facts from the label. A serving has no fat, no protein, 1 gram of fiber, 3 grams carbs, and 160 mg of sodium. There are 2 grams of sugar — of which none are added sugars — despite sugar being an actual ingredient. Strange. More about that later.
There are only 15 calories per serving, which is two tablespoons. I guarantee I’ve never limited my salsa consumption to 2 tablespoons at a time, ever. Not once in my life.
Ingredients in Organic Hot Salsa from Publix Greenwise
Here are the ingredients from the label:
- Organic Tomato Puree (Water, Organic Tomato Paste, Citric Acid)
- Organic Diced Tomatoes in Organic Tomato Juice
- Organic Jalapeno Peppers
- Organic Green Bell Peppers
- Organic Dried Onions
- Organic Distilled Vinegar
- Salt
- Organic Sugar
- Organic Dried Garlic
- Organic Spice
- Organic Natural Flavor
I liked the salsa better before I saw the ingredients. It seems mildly tragic to use reconstituted stuff (like tomato paste with water) instead of just the fresh vegetables. I would prefer things like fresh onions and fresh garlic over dried. I also see added sugar.
But, this is certified USDA Organic by CCOF, so that’s nice?
Price and Shelf-Life for Publix Organic Hot Salsa
My 15.5 ounce jar cost $3.50. Since there are allegedly 14 servings per jar, each serving costs 25 cents. In my case, I got about four servings from this jar, so each of my servings was 88 cents.
The expiration date on my jar allowed me about 1.5 years to store this before opening. After opening, the instructions are to refrigerate. (If you’re wondering how long you can keep opened salsa in your refrigerator, here is an article from Tasting Table.)
Dramatic Conclusion
Although I like the overall flavors and textures in this salsa, I am disappointed by the lack of heat and the strangely reconstituted ingredients (although they don’t taste reconstituted). I might still buy this again, because it offers a fair value as an organic product, and is shelf-stable.
The end.
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