Americans love salsa. We eat more of it than ketchup these days. When I think of salsa I think of a tomato based sauce with hot peppers used as a dip. However, more and more salsas are using fruit as the main ingredient. With warm weather coming soon (thank goodness) many fruits will be in season so they will be abundant and lower in cost.

Common fruits which are used in salsa are: kiwi, strawberry, watermelon, mango, peaches, berries, pineapple, and cantaloupe.

Fruit salsa is a wonderful way to use ripe fruit. Ripe fruit has the best flavor and when you make salsa you can remove any bruises or blemishes. Most salsa recipes include a small amount of sweetener such as white or brown sugar, honey, fruit jelly or preserves, or syrups to draw out the juice in the fruit. Fruit salsas can also include onions, hot peppers and/or cilantro. Many of these recipes are designed to be served with meat, poultry, or fish.

We have an easy Fruit Salsa recipe and Baked Cinnamon Chips on the SpendSmart.EatSmart website, but fresh fruit salsa is a great opportunity to experiment and create your own recipe.  However, if you are thinking of canning your own salsa make sure you use a tested recipe so you know it is safe to eat.