What to do with all the tomatoes and peppers coming in? Raw fermented salsa is a delicious alternative to canned salsa which yes, preserves your harvest, but in the cooking process kills many of the nutrients in the ingredients. Fermented food really is a lost superfood that thankfully is making a comeback these days. 

Fermented foods are rich in probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that help maintain a healthy balance in your gut microbiome. This can aid in digestion, enhance nutrient absorption, and support overall digestive health. Fermenting your food also increases the nutrient bioavailability of the ingredients you're working with, making it easier for your body to absorb. The fermentation process can increase the levels of vitamins, such as B vitamins and vitamin K, and break down anti-nutrients, improving the overall nutritional value of the food.

It is worth it to give this recipe a go!

So to start we need to make whey, which is very different than the whey you may find in a store as a protein powder. 

Here are five simple steps to make whey from yogurt:

Step 1: Gather Supplies

• You'll need plain yogurt (preferably organic, whole milk or Greek yogurt), a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth, a bowl or mason jar, and a container to store the whey.

Step 2: Line the Strainer

• Place the fine mesh strainer over a bowl and line it with a clean cheesecloth or a thin kitchen towel. If you don’t have cheesecloth, a clean thin dish cloth could work too.

Step 3: Pour the yogurt

• Pour the yogurt into the lined strainer. The yogurt should stay on top, while the liquid whey starts to drain through into the bowl or mason jar below. About a half a jar of yogurt should be plenty to collect 4 Tbsp of why, but I often will do more as it I love how the solid part makes "cream cheese." 

Step 4: Let It Strain

• Allow the yogurt to strain for several hours (4-6 hours) at room temperature, or place it in the fridge to strain overnight. The longer it strains, the thicker the yogurt will become, and the more whey you’ll collect.

Step 5: Collect and Store the Whey

• After straining, the liquid whey will be in the bowl, and the thickened yogurt (now essentially Greek yogurt or labneh) will be left in the strainer. Transfer the whey to a clean container and store it in the fridge. It can be kept for several weeks and used in various recipes or as a starter for fermenting vegetables.

At this point you will have the solid part of the yogurt too, which kind of resembles cream cheese. Put in the fridge for a few hours to let it harden up a bit, then you can add salt, garlic, and the herbs of your choice. Mix by hand until everything is mixed in well. Let sit in the fridge for another hour before eating. 

Raw Fermented Salsa

• This recipe makes one quart
• 4 - 5 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded
• 2 small onions chopped
• chilli peppers to your desired liking/ heat preference
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• large handful of cilantro, oregano, and Italian parsley
• juice of 2 lemons
• 1 Tbsp unrefined sea salt
• 4 Tbsp whey
• Please note, there is room for variation with veggies and herbs in this recipe, but you CAN'T skip the lemon juice. It really makes it all work. 

Instructions:

Step 1: Chop up all your veggies, mix in lemon juice, salt and whey

Step 2: Pour into a freshly cleaned quart size jar and push down the salsa with a mortar or spoon

Step 3: Be sure to leave at least on inch of space between the salsa and the top of the jar. Wipe anything off that is above the liquid line. 

Step 4: Secure a lid and leave at room temperature for 48 hours. (Since tomato is technically a fruit, you don't want it fermenting at room temp longer than that.)

Step 5: Refrigerate and enjoy! Should last in your fridge for about 6 months. 

I need to give credit to my OG Traditional Foods teacher, Sherry Rothwell, who gave me this recipe over a decade ago and I have used every tomato season since!

On a seed cracker you can add your herbed "cream cheese" and top it off with some of your fermented salsa when it's ready!