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LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LANCASTER (Lancaster Co.)
—Fruit salsa. Salsa Cm da, Totna
tillo Green Salsa, and more were
included in the salsa workshop
taught on Tuesday by Nancy Wik
er, family living agent for Lancas
ter County Extension.
Participants in the workshop
had the opportunity to taste-test
four different salsa varieties and
even take home a jar of canned sal
sa made during the session held at
the Farm and Home Center,
Lancaster.
Salsa, a Mexican word for sauce
meaning cooked or fresh mixtures,
is making inroads in the tastes of
American people. While many
associate salsa with spicy hot
tomato mixtures on which to dip
tortillo chips, participants teamed
that salsa does not necessarilly
include tomatoes and hot peppers.
Fruit salsa is colorful, and has
just a slight touch of tang. Do not
can fruit salsas because it changes
the flavor and texture.
Although salsa is most often
used as a dip, it is gaining in popu
larity as an accompaniment to
grilled chicken, seafood, pork,
beef, hamburgers, and even baked
potatoes and pastas.
Salsa cruda refers to uncooked
or fresh salsa. But salsa may be
canned following kitchen-tested
recipes,
Although both fresh and canned
salsa are available at supermark
ets, many people prefer to make
their own. The taste can vary from
mild to searing hot depending
upon the ingredients used. When
making fresh salsa, ingredients can
be substituted, left out, or
increased, but when canning salsa,
follow a kitchen-tested recipe to
ensure it contains enough acide to
be processed safely in a boiling
water canner.
Choose fresh ingredients in
peak-season quality. Fruits and
vegetables should be ripe but firm.
Aim for a balance of flavor, color,
and texture.
When used as dip, the salsa
should not be too juicy. If you want
thicker salsa, merely drain off the
juice when ready to serve.
Serve fresh salsa within a few
hours of preparation. If it sits too
long, the acidic ingredients will
“cook” the salsa and ruin its tex
ture. Also raw ingredients such as
raw garlic, onion, and chiles will
oxidize making their flavors sharp.
Allow to stand for 15-20 minutes
before serving for flavors to
mingle. Serve at room temperature
or slightly chilled.
“Salsas are generally low in
calories and fat and high in vita
mins,” Wiker said.
For those who are not familiar
with some of the ingredients tradi
tionally used in salsa recipes, here
are some tips Wiker shared.
• Chile peppers more than
7,000 varieties of peppers exist,
which range from hot to mild in
taste. Chiles contain a chemical
known as capsaicin, which gives
them heat. To reduce the heat of a
chile pepper, remove the seeds and
the ribs before adding to a dish.
“Generally the smaller the pep
pers are, the hotter they are,” Wik
er said.
The oils that give the chili pep
pers their fiery taste will bum your
skin. Always wear gloves when
handling peppers. Avoid touching
your eyes, nose, and mouth.
“Because your eyes tear when
chopping chili peppers, a common
Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Cold
But Salsa Satisfies Everyone’s Tastes
reaction is to brush your eyes with
your hand,” Wiker said. “Don’t do
that”
• Cilantro—Often called Chin
ese parsley or coriander leaf, this
herb has a slightly citrus flavor. It
provides a compliment to the
chiles and garlic found in many
salsa recipes.
• Tomatillos These green
fruits are the base for green salsa.
They have a paper outer shell with
a fruit that resembles a green toma
to. Select fruits that are firm, dry,
with clean, close fitting husks that
show no sign of blackness or mold.
• Tomatoes Select firm, ripe,
unblemished tomatoes. Paste
tomatoes, such as Roma, have a
firmer flesh and produce thicker
salsa.
• Onions—Red or white onions
work well in salsa. To bring out its
sweetness, chill for an hour before
slicing. The tops of green onions
can be used, which add color as
well as nutrition to the mixture.
Here are some kitchen-tested
recipes Wiker shared at the
workshop.
TOMATILLO GREEN SALSA
5 cups chopped tomatillos or
green tomatoes
I'A cups seeded, finely chopped
jalapeno peppers
4 cups chopped onions
1 cup bottled lemon juice
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons oregano leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a
large saucepan and stir frequently
over high heat until mixture begins
to boil, then reduce heat and sim
mer for 20 minutes, stirring occa
sionally. Ladle hot into pint jars,
leaving Vi -inch headspace. Adjust
lids and process in a boiling water
canner IS minutes. Yield: S pints.
GAIL STROCK
Mifflin Co. Correspondent
ALLENSVILLE (Mifflin Co.)
In 1798, Christian Detweiler
owned 378 acres in Mifflin Coun
ty, a large 30x80-foot bam, and a
27x31-foot house with 13 win
dows. We know this because of
federal “Window Tax” documents
for that year. The Window Tax
measured wealth according to
bow many glass window panes a
home had.
But what do we know of Chris
tian Detweiler’s daily life? What
were his tools like? How did he
light his way to the bam on dark
winter mornings?
Few families have preserved
artifacts from the 1700 s, but the
Detweiler collection comes close.
Thriftiness, taking good care of
what you have, and foresight all
played a role in the preservation of
Detweiler belongings and col
lections over four generations. It
was an incredible collection. Was
... because it was all dispersed at
auction on July 11.
Samuel Detweiler, a descendent
of Christian, is in his 90S. A week
before the sale, Samuel talked
about some of the items, like the
wooden flax breaker his grand
father used in the 1870 s.
“Look at the ox shoes,” Samuel
pointed toward an ox yoke hang
ing from the basement rafters (it
later sold for $2,700). The ox
shoes had been mounted onto the
yoke long ago. “There’re two of
PEACH-GINGER SaLSA
1 cup cubed peeled peaches
1 cup cubed seeded tomato
V* cup sliced green onions
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh
ginger or ’/ teaspoon ground
ginger
’/• teaspoon salt
Dash freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients, stir
well. Chill to combine flavors.
Makes 2 cups.
FRUIT SALSA
2 tart green apples
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1 kiwi
1 orange
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons apple jelly
Dice all fruit Mix with brown
sugar. Add apple jelly last Use as
dip with cinnamon tortilla chips,
made by slicing a soft tortilla in
wedges. Sprinkle with water, cin
namon, and sugar. Bake about 5
minutes in 350 degree oven until
slightly browned.
TOMATO SALSA
2 cups diced plum tomatoes
l A cup finely chopped onion
A cup diced yellow or green bell
pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded,
veined, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
'A teaspoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
In a large bowl, combine all
ingredients. Cover and refrigerate
for a few hours to blend flavors.
Makes 3 cups.’
Detweiler Artifacts Bring Top Prices
Auctioneer Merit Click of Reedsville shows off a tomahawk, which was only one of
thousands of Indian artifacts auctioned near Allensvllle, Mifflin County.
them for the split hoof. Here are
my father’s snow shoes.”
Samuel reached toward a shelf
for the first light his family ever
had. An eight-inch high metal
stand with a small swinging cup at
the top. At the sale, it sold for
$450. The little tin cup was filled
with lard and would right itself if
Nancy . a teaches a salsa workshop offered by the
Lancaster Extension Penn State Cooperative Extension. In
addition to traditional tomato salsas, participants learned
how to make fruit salsa.
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tilted. During his tour, he pointed
out fine and coarse wool cards,
one dated 1801, his grandfather’s
old lantern, a glass bent-necked
baby bottle, a “fishing gig” and'
three of his grandfather’s hay
forks.
Auctioneer Marie Click had the
daunting task of where to start the
bid for items such as sheepskin
deeds from the 17905; the diaries
of Samuel’s grandfather, Levi
Detweilcr, written from 1856 on
in English; books such as the
Reverend David Brainerd's
(Turn to Pago BIS)