The Best Jarred Medium Salsa
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- Опубликовано: 18 апр 2024
- We love this condiment when it’s homemade, but jarred salsa is more convenient. Which one should you bring home?
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I've used Herdez brand for years. I like it because it has very few ingredients and it's close to what my Hispanic friends make from scratch.
I love Herdez too. Switched to this from Chi Chi's.
Agreed.
Yep, fresh-tasting (not cooked out). This reminds me of south Texas salsas.
Been eating the “hot” variety of Herdez salsa casera since the only way to buy it was canned.
We like to add a little fresh finely chopped onion and cilantro to spruce it up when we're too lazy to make salsa. (You'd be surprised to find out how many Mexican restaurants do this )
My wife's favorite but just too juicy for me. Use it on a taco and my plate has a puddle of water when I'm done eating.
Fresh salsa from scratch requires very little effort for something so delicious. But I always know Mateo's got me when I'm feeling lazy but wanna dip the chip. I'm glad ATK feels the same.
ATK's tasting panel liked and recommended all ten salsas they tasted.
I like how you guys didn’t turn this one into a ranking. You’re right. Salsa is so subjective there’s no way to pick a “winner”.
Clint's Texas Salsa has become my fave. It has a very FRESH flavor. Doesn't have that "canned" off-taste that some do. Not too expensive either, just $3.97 for 16oz at big W.
I think Herdez is delicious! I put a jar in my chicken tortilla soup….😋
I found it very salty.
Having been born and raised in So Cal La Victoria is the best made. Many varieties to choose from. From mild to hot. Love them all.
I'm with you. I grew up in So Cal, too (Santa Barbara). La Victoria was the salsa our family used on everything!
Same (LA area) and one of their flavors was my favorite. I used to buy it by the jug, then they changed the recipe. I started making my own.
NorCal native, but I also prefer La Victoria over Pace (for instance).
This is one of the best reviews of anything I've ever seen. When you take into account the specificity of the product being reviewed and the number of samples and details, this is the gold standard.
10/10;
the pinnacle of research and technology
I agree. I came into the video expecting them to recommend a "best" jarred salsa, but I came away with enough knowledge to choose for myself based on my own preference which made sense due to the large number of variables involved.
Did we watch the same video? I watched 4:42 of a vague comparison of less than half of the options with a final determination of different people like different qualities in their salsa.
@@joeleoleo I was being sarcastic, this is a garbage review lol
@@joeleoleo The editorial standards have plummeted in the last few years. They did a panel tasting. They had the result. Why not just say who won?
I know they did this tasting a few years back of mild salsas and Chi-chi's won and their medium wasn't even in this test.
The Rick Bayless Frontera line of salsa are all fantastic and my personal favorite.
Love it.
I'm a Pace fan, I grew up with it and their recipe hasn't changed. Really if you put any salsa in front of me, jarred or homemade, and a bag of chips I'm a happy guy. lol
"New York City?!!"
Yup, it's a good balance of heat & flavor. Plus if you're a "smooth" fan like me and Jack, you can just get their picante sauce - same ingredients but the tomatoes are crushed. 😀
Pace did change back in the 1990’s after Campbell’s bought them. Now it’s like Campbell’s tomato soup.
Pace forever
@@juliemoses1909 the ad also changed from "new jersey?!?" to "new york city?!?" after the buyout, since campbell's is from new jersey..
Mateo's was started by a father and son, in Texas, in a house a few blocks from mine, and was first sold in local grocery stores. It is my favorite, by far. Pace is a crowd pleaser for people in New Jersey. The same people who put kidney beans in Chili.
BTW, Mateo's makes a Hatch Chili salsa that is amazing, if you can find it.
My relatives in Kansas invited us over for chili and it was 3/4 kidney beans........ not even pintos.😅
Very timely. I was going to make my own salsa today and this might motivate me to actually do it. It is not hard to do at all, and of course it costs less. None of the commercial brands that I've tried please me, and of course a good Tex-Mex restaurant makes their own, too.
Herdez is the best and if I'm not mistaken there is no vinegar.
Vinegar is the deal-killer for me with the salsa that comes in jars. Especially Pace, which has a lot of it.
I don’t think people think through the vinegar thing very carefully. For instance, if you want to put jalapeños in a dish, you’d better think really hard as to whether you want vinegar that dish, too.
I don’t ever wanna see vinegar in a salsa.
@@richardpetty9159yes no vinegar in salsa. If anything, a squeeze of lime will provide just enough acidity without being so strong that it makes you cough.
@@richardpetty9159
Use fresh ingredients, not pickled jalapeños 🤣
I really like the Herdez brand. It is watery, but the taste is great and the chunks are small.
I like Herdez. It is watery. So i drink that part first. Then but a cup in my meatloaf. The rest of it last a day or two
You describe how I enjoy to eat the salsa especially the flip top small tin version which I can take for lunch.
505 green Chile salsa and Sadie's salsa are my 2 favorites
Hell yeah a Sadies fan!
Yes, 505 chile salsa is legit. Great for dipping and a quick way to make huevos ranchers over tostadas. Just warm up some of the salsa in the microwave and spoon it over the fried egg on the tostada. Tastes very close to home made.
@@mrxman581 THIS IS THE WAY.
505 green chili is one of my favorites.
I like both of those. Are you from NM? When I go o Albuquerque we go to Sadies restaurant.
I'm a recent convert to Chi Chi's Restaurant Style...great chunky texture and great taste. I love Herdez, too, but it's too watery.
ME TOO
Interestingly 5 years when they tested mild salsa Chi Chi's was high in the ratings. It's my favorite too.
@@roadtripboy yessir, it's made by "big food" Hormel, but I can find no fault other than the narrow mouth jar,have to labor to get every spoonful.
@@roadtripboy That's the video I saw recently that led to my conversion!
Really enjoyed this video and subject choice. Thank you.😊
I kept hearing about Mateo’s and finally saw some at the store. $9.19 per jar. Forget that!
Where are you shopping?! Walmart has the 16oz for $4.70 near me
@@cloudyviewSafeway in WA
I can buy a two-pack of big one liter jars of Pace medium and get change back for $9.19. Ditto on the "forget that".
Salsa is pretty easy to make at home, using either a blender (for smooth), or a food processor (for chunky).
The ingredients are dirt cheap, compared to pre-made, and it tastes way better... and no preservatives needed, because there won't be any damn leftovers.
You can also make it as hot as you want. It's almost impossible to find store bought salsa that's actually 'hot' -- no matter what the label says, they're not. Ghost pepper? Please.
If you make it yourself, you can burn your eyebrows off.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 for sure! I usually make my own, but tomatoes suck until the summer. I’d rather have a quality jarred salsa until my harvest comes in or I can go to the farmer’s market.
Mateos is my favorite too. Closest to restaurant you can find imo
Mateosis prettify good. I have a jar in the fridge right now. But there's a **TON** of local salsa around me (fermented? Coffee? yes please!)
I'd gladly eat an entire bowl of salsa and feel happy about it regardless. It's why I make my own!
Mateo's has been my favorite store bought salsa for several years. Their taco sauce is outstanding.
Mateo's is the only store bought salsa I will buy. If they're out of Mateo's, I don't need salsa that day LOL. It is delicious!
I also agree with Mateo’s. Some here are complaining about the price. Not if you buy it from Costco.
Walmart has a pretty good black bean in corn salsa; however, the jars are now half the size and twice the price!
😂in the U.S they want to add cumin, black beans and corn to every 'mexican' meal why? salsa for example does not have any cumin in it.
Or Walmart. I pay $4 and change for it in GA.
It's still very watery for a salsa, okay for chips, messy for much else.
@@borisstanislav4560completely disagree, salsa should definitely have at least some cumin in it.
Salsas are like french sauces, cheeses, and wines, you pair the right salsa with the appropriate food, not one size fits all. Some food goes better with green salsa, while others it's red, or some with a good chunky pico de gallo. It's a personal preference.
Herdez is the best hands down. Mexican salsa.
It's watery. Not true salsa.
@@michelleadams5609"true" salsa is often very watery. someone's never been to Mexico.
We have salsa fresca and pico de gallo in all our grocery stores in Cali, usually local made. 3 levels of heat. Found in the cooler case.
I practically buy it in bulk when I'm not making it myself.
Love Herdez. It’s so good and really inexpensive.
Up here in The Great White North we don't have the same choices for our jarred salsa...I have a big jar of Pace medium in my fridge in the absence of the roasted and smoky types.
best value-to-taste for me is: Western Family Fire Roasted Salsa
yeah, up here in Montreal, it is MUCH easier to find the ones from Mexico than a lot of the ones from the US. My local supermarket always has Herdez and La Victoria, and usually La Costeña. (and tostitos, which is disgusting, is everywhere.)
I’m liking this format for the tastings
You can’t beat good salsa! 😋❤️♥️ Thanks ATK
I am from Texas and We Know Salsa. I have tried ALL of these (except, Frontera and Green Mt. Not sold here) "Mateo's" is tasty but Expensive.
Nothing is better than making your own of fresh stuff from your garden! (I do in season)
If you can't, then "Pace" is the 1. In winter. I buy it by the gallon from Sam's. (I usually Spike it w/ Habaneros)
I love you guys! ❤
If you're a chunky salsa fan (like me) in my opinion the best medium salsa is Casa Mamita, the Aldi brand.
YES!!! I thought I was crazy, you can’t beat Aldi prices, but their quality lacks in some places. But the salsa is legit!!
Just recently discovered it and I'm a big fan!
I only wish they had a hot version. I know I'm in the minority though.
Find RED GOLD they are chunky and made in my home state of Indiana. Hell the tomatoes are grown in the field across the highway from my house
@@mikemprov1303 I would love if they came out with a hot version, but until then I can always add some hot sauce if I want it hotter.
With every grocery store marketing a fresh made type of salsa, I realize I haven’t bought a shelf stable salsa in decades probably.
However, the Newmans brand has been an exception , since a friends dinner recipe called for the pineapple version.
Otherwise, homemade salsa is too easy to make, but a quality readymade fresh salsa outshines all these McSalsa’s hands down.
Omg thank you for this reviw
Interesting. These are all good. May need to get one of each.
Totally agree!
Herdez is my favorite. Can't go wrong with their products.
Glad you found the Mateo's. I knew it was the best salsa going in and I just wanted to get a read on your taste buds. 👍
Great Value Restaurant Style!
Gotta throw Mrs. Renfro's in the match. Both the Habanero and Ghost Pepper (!!) are top notch, but you can also use them as heat bases to create creamy, spicy dips and topping with mayo, sour cream, yogurt etc.
I love that brand, but the Ghost Pepper isn't any hotter than the Habanero, which is absurd. The Habanero is excellent, though.
Sorry. Herdez is the best I’ve ever bought.
Then you might like Goya tomatillo salsa. Similar and IMO, even better.
Herdez is good, but I find it runs hotter that one would think based on the label.
I love this review because it really was about how you like your salsa. I need to have my salsa chunky (not sure why people want smooth salsa but also have some veggies bits) and it doesn't surprise me that Pace had some heat to its medium salsa. As a spicy food lover, their hot salsa is legitmately spicy.
Love the tv series too ! Thanks all people involved with America’s test kitchen ..
I use Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde and like it enough. The Tomatillo salsa in their refrigerated section is also wonderful as is their Pico de Gallo. And their Chunky in a jar is one other good one. Trader Joe’s is on top of this, everyone!!!
I love Herdez medium salsa, been into it for 30 years now..
Am I the only person who was disappointed they did the tasting without chips?
Jack said he forgot them ........
Yeah i thought this was moronic
@bdf8267 - But then they would have to decide what chips are the best first. (Personally, I buy Garden of Eatin' salt-free tortilla chips.) For salsa, I buy Arriba! chipotle and Frontera's salsa verde or the the red one made with garlic.
Herdez is the good one !!!
Al of this really depends on what the salsa will be eaten with. Dipping chips is different than building a burrito.
Also, our household favorite is made by Late July. perfect combo of heat and sweet, with just the right amount of chunks. And it won't break the bank.
I recently discovered Mateo's and like the jer says, I've become obsessed with it! Hands down the best jarred salsa I've found. I could also recognize it as they were tasting it.
I can eat any type of salsa anytime.. I love most of them... I grew up on Pace and La Victoria, but I do love two tablespoons of Pace Picante Chunky cooked in my 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast...😋
Thanks for putting your vid's up on YT !! I think you'll reach a much younger and broader audience than PBS.
The chunky is best for us because when I use it for cooking like in meatloaf I dont need to add extra vegetables since it’s economical
Thank you! Great idea for meatloaf.
That's a good tip. Thanks for sharing.
I like my own. It’s easy to make your own and make it the way you like it.
Glad I just had a snack! Watching this makes me want chips n salsa
By far, the best jarred salsa's I've ever had are Annie's (sold at Sprouts) and 505 Southwestern from Albuquerque, NM
Mateo's is truly outstanding!
"People from Vermont Judge Salsas" 😂
They should have Mexican grandmas be the judges!😂
Love your video's.
I have to agree with both Bridget and Julia, I also love D.....it's a great salsa and my current favorite after taking a risk and buying a Costco sized bottle of it a month ago. I've since been back for more. I also like C from Fontera, which used to be my favorite, until I found Mateo's (D), and I'm now ad-dic-ted!
My favorite is the Medium Simply Organic salsa at Aldi.
The one with the yellow cap. So good. Perfect heat and chunkiness too.
How about rating the green ones? That's what I prefer.
Herdez avocado hot sauce is amazing
Had Goya tomatillo salsa? It’s fantastic!
ATK did one about ten years ago, but the link on their website directs to this taste test (as do the ones for hot and mild salsas ) so perhaps a new flight of salsa tastings is on the horizon. 🤷🏼♀
me too
La Victoria for me. Just had it for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised. Closest to restaurant quality I’ve had out of a jar.
I just recently discovered Mateo's - fricking love the stuff, for jar sauce.
I purchased the Mateo's at your recommendation and felt it was too sweet. I'm from San Antonio, TX, and my favorite is Herdez Taqueria Street Sauce Roja.
Ive loved Mateos for years now
Pace has been my favorite for 40 years...
Tastes like ketchup
The Picante, not the “salsa!”
The best is the Southwest style sold by Safeway as a store brand. Man is it good.
The refrigerated salsas in the plastic tubs are better than the jarred stuff. They go bad kinda fast once opened, though.
So much better. I only keep a shelf stable jar in the pantry for last minute meals
I second the refrigerated versions! Santa Barbara is the one I grew up eating. I didn’t realize there was jarred salsa until I was in uni.
H-E-B grocery store in Texas makes a very good fresh salsa in the sealed plastic container. Market Street / United sells a *hot* salsa that is muy sabroso.
Kirkland is my favorite!
Many of the tested salsas are available at my local supermarket, as it's part of a small chain which extends into the S Suburbs of Chicago, many of which have a substantial Hispanic population. When I need to restock on salsa (esp. when there isn't a great sale), it would be nice to get a really good-quality salsa.
Here in Florida I buy the Publix brand Salsa. I like the consistency and the taste.
Not much comparison going on, just for different types. What about categorizing them by type and tasting each category to find the best of each? That’s information I can use!
Read the full review (link is in the video description). That's kind of what they did. The ATK tasting panel conducted a preliminary tasting of the brands with more than one medium salsa offering to pick a favourite to represent the brand. There was no overall “winner” among the ten brands - all were recommended. The panel did provide tasting notes for each with an “If you like…” (chunky, thin, heat, sweet, smoke) theme so people can choose what appeals to them.
@@sandrah7512 Unfortunately the full review linked hits a paywall. I even subscribe to ATK's publications, but cannot access the website without paying an extra subscription fee. Shoot, I can't even use the QR code in the magazines without hitting the paywall!
@@dianafoot This video is based on the same review that appeared in the October/November 2020 issue of Cook's Country magazine which is the same as the online version in the link. Oddly, the linked article has a publication date of August 2021, but an online version of the magazine (not on the ATK website) say September 2020. ATK does update their online equipment and tasting reviews occasionally - and identify those articles as updated and why - to add more models/brands, downgrade those that have demonstrated durability issues or to exclude anything that's been discontinued, but there does not appear to be any updates to the salsa article apart from the different date. 🤷🏼♀
Perfect timing for this video! I'm finally out of my favorite trader joes jarred salsa, they've discontinued it....BOOOO! I've tried a couple others and just yuck. One was super sweet. One was mild even tho the label claims medium. I agree with team anti-chunk.
Mateos is my top choice so good to see you agree 😀
It was Jack's personal favourite (and maybe Bridget's), but in the actual tasting, each brand had fans on the tasting panel. All ten salsas were recommended and presented with tasting notes to help people determine their favourite.
I found matios a few years ago! The only one I buy now!
Homemade is best and Pace is #2 for me.
This gal from Texas was curious what you all would choose. You chose well! We are big fans of Mateos!
My fave is Chi Chi thick n chunky medium. I haven't tried some of those shown though.
My Top 3 Store bought Salsas are anything Frontera (Lifelong Chicagoan), Mateo's, and the Herdez Brand Salsas... Havent had Pace in decades! Might have to give it another go...🤔
I live in Indiana just outside Chicago and I choose Frontera or RED GOLD. Both are locals. RED GOLD is made in Indiana and the tomatoes are grown across from my house
Frontera roasted corn and poblano salsa was my all time favorite...so far😁
Never tried it but that sounds sooo good!
It’s a matter of personal preference. So many varieties and variations. In Houston Mateo’s is $5. Some personal favorites are Arriba!, Herdez, Sadie’s & El Pinto
Another Sadies fan!
Great Value makes the highest quality products.
My all time favorite is Xochitl chipotle Medium. Smoky, garlicky, fresh, chunks but not overwhelming. Easy to find in the South or on their website.
This is a fave of our family, too!
I was excited to watch this video when I saw it come up, but find it surprisingly underwhelming for an ATK video. The title indicated there would be a “best” but that was misleading. Additionally you showed 9 jars of salsa then spoke about the qualities of 4 of them. Even if you weren’t going to rank them, it would have been nice to have them all reviewed for their various qualities: spiciness, smooth v chunkyness, vegetables, other flavors, etc so we could decide which one fit our likes the best.
After trying every salsa in your line up (except Mateo's, which I haven't seen around here), we always return to Green Mountain medium. Would love to see a review including that one.
Are any of them lower in sodium? The last few times I bought from the store they were too salty to eat.
I love all things Rick Bayless! Not surprised Julia loved his salsa. Try Frontera fajita sauce in a pouch -- you will NEVER go back!!!
I think salsa is a personal choice I like Green Mountain
Very true. It’s a matter of personal taste and that’s totally fine. That’s one reason why we have so many Tex-Mex restaurants in my area (Dallas) - each of them have their own unique flavor and dedicated following of customers. Same with Barbecue, Chinese-American food, etc.
Make your own 😊💥
I like chunky and I think the Walmart brand is pretty good. They've raised the price (it was a great deal before) and put out smaller jars, but they do have a roasted salsa. You have to look for it because it's hidden in the canned tomato section--it's not as chunky but it's tasty and economical.
Herdez for the win!
505 i like it ,cuz its like what i ate. i grew up with in southern New Mexico
i like homemade.
Mateo's this past weekend was still $6.99 at Costco for a 32oz jar. I thought it was a sale but apparently for now it's regular price. BUT, Costco had a 48oz jar of Organic Jack's Cantina Salsa on sale (might still be) for $4.99. Not as good as Mateos but still really good.
La Victoria! Love it!
Frontera is leagues better than pace. It's delicious.
President's Choice black bean and corn has been a staple for decades
Arriba! is my favorite jarred.
this is true mateo's is so good but the best salsas are sold in the cold case, just like cold pickles they always taste fresher
I’d like to hear/see your opinion on the Aldi brand.
Not only that but the Matteo's you like is only available at Walmart and there is none where I live. I'll stick with one of the Frontera salsas. I like those.
Mateos is our favorite!