Strawberry Mango Salsa

There is just something about warmer weather that makes you crave fresh snacks like chips and salsa. I have shared salsa recipes with you before, but this week, I thought I would try something new.

Strawberries are currently at their peak right now, the local fields are bursting with the beauties. I picked up another bucket and started thinking about making strawberry salsa. We also have gorgeous mangoes in the house so I thought that would be great in the mix, too.

I did a little hunting on Pinterest and found a couple of recipes to try, but you know I had to make it my own.

Of course the key ingredient is delicious, sweet strawberries. Field-fresh berries are always best, but if you can’t get to them, you can use a little honey to sweeten up your berries.

As for mangoes, there are a lot of varieties. I used Honey Mangoes, which I bought in a 6 pack at Costco, no joke. They are yellow and extremely sweet and juicy.

If you are unsure of how to peel and cut a mango, you are not alone. I had to Google it the first time. There are some nifty tricks online, but the easiest way I have found is to hold the mango with the stem pointing up and slice off the widest sides of the mango. Next, I take each side and lay it skin down and make long slices in the flesh lengthwise, avoiding cutting all the way through the skin. Then I make some slices going crosswise, again avoiding cutting all the way through. You should now have little squares of mango ready to slice off the skin. Carefully slip your knife along the flesh, separating the squares of fruit. You can then slice the skinny sides of the rest of the mango and cut the same way.

I’m sure I am more of a food nerd than most, but it helped me to understand slicing a mango better after I Googled what the seeds look like. They are quite long, flat, hard and fiberous, which explains why your can’t just hack down the middle of the fruit. There’s your fruit anatomy lesson for the day.

As for onions, I opted for green onions rather than red. I know people love the pungent zing of a red onion, but my family prefers more mellow onions. In fact, I used only the green parts of the onions. But onion preferences are extremely personal, so you do you when it comes to alliums.

Some folks are timid with how much jalapeño to use when you are making a fruit salsa, but that is also completely up to you and your tastes. It also greatly depends on the heat in your jalapeños. I used a medium pepper for this recipe and frankly, my kids said it should have been more.

Like all good salsas, you can add whatever you think it needs. Because my fruits were naturally sweet, I added a touch of salt and a generous squeeze of lime juice.

It is best served fresh, before your fruits begin to get mushy and change color. But you can store it in the fridge for a day or two. We have only had it with corn chips, but I am anxious to try it with grilled chicken – just as soon as we get our grill up and running for the season.

If you have any other strawberry salsa recipes I should try, please let me know.

Happy munching!