I’ve made salsa verde three times and each time the salsa was too sour. Are the tomatillos not ripe or am I doing something wrong? How do I fix this issue?
[https://cookieandkate.com/homemade-salsa-verde-recipe/](https://cookieandkate.com/homemade-salsa-verde-recipe/)
Broil and blend til smooth
### INGREDIENTS
* 1 ½ pounds tomatillos (about 12 medium), husked and rinsed
* 1 to 2 medium jalapeños, stemmed (omit for mild salsa, use 1 jalapeño for medium salsa and 2 jalapeños for hot salsa, note that spiciness will depend on heat of actual peppers used)
* ½ cup chopped white onion (about ½ medium onion)
* ¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves (more if you love cilantro)
* 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup lime juice (1 to 2 medium limes, juiced), to taste
* ½ to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
by Tettamanti
28 Comments
If you’re using a recipe could you provide a link.
Also are you roasting/boiling the tomatillos , or using them raw?
if you are adding lime to taste, how does it come out too sour? What are you tasting for?
Make sure you take the time to really wash off the bitter coating that covers the tomatillos.
I made a couple batches with some tart tomatillos, the first one was too sour so on the second batch I put the tomatillos in a cast iron and cooked them till they burst. After that I simmered them till the tartness mellowed. I also left out the lime juice entirely.
Use more peppers instead of ALL tomatillos. Anaheim would be a great choice.
If it’s tart, the ratio might just have too many tomatillos. Maybe use fewer, like if I was going to use half an onion and one jalapeño I might use 6 or 8 tomatillos instead of 12. Adding in something like roasted garlic and/or just some more salt might help too. And you may not even need any lime if it’s already sweet/tart/acidic just from the tomatillos already.
Mexican Oregano brings an earthiness to it as well.
Obviously it’s the lime juice. Use water instead. It tastes better. Mexican food urges you to squeeze the lime a la minute onto your own food only. Tomatillos are already sour without the water. Roast them deep or boil them to tone them down more.
I’ve seen many recipes call for some honey or agave. I’d say just use less lime juice.
I know I’m gonna get wrecked but a little sprinkle of sugar. Do it in my tomato sauce and tried in my salsa…red not tomatillo, but similar food chemistry
I know what you are talking about, I had the same problem, I found that using fresh green tomatoes are less sour, also take special care with washing them, also don’t store them in the fridge. Buy your tomatoes the same day you are using them.
I boil the tomatillos until they turn color. No lime or lemon. If you really want to put in the work, I remove the clear skin off the tomatillos once they are boiled.
I roast my tomatillos, which brings out the sweetness.
Try using the smallest tomatillos you can find. The large ones tend to be much more tart than the small ones. Also, boil them whole until they just slightly change color. It’s still basically a raw salsa but it really improves the tartness. I don’t use any lime at all. Also, on the ratio of tomatillos to jalapeños, I use fewer tomatillos and more jalapeños than this recipe calls for.
I don’t use lime in tomatillo salsa because it’s sour enough already. You could also try broiling the tomatillos for longer, or adding a little sugar at the end to cut the tartness (but not so much that it ends up sweet).
Overcooking tomatillos give off flavor. Try boiling them less time
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If you have about 4 cups of it. Put a 1/4 cup of olive oil in a pot and heat to 350ish. Pour the salsa quickly into the hot oil, there will be splatter and a lot of steam. Let it come to a light boil and turn it off. This will remove a good amount of the tang and give it a new more substantial flavor.
Add a bell/Anaheim/poblano green pepper, use a little less lime, and definitely roast up those tillos
Don’t boil them for too long. That’s what makes them sour. As soon as they turn color take them out.
Also wash them really good. I leave mine in vinegar for a bit then rinse them really really good.
I’d add that lime juice to taste. It seems like a lot.
My fresh verde game changed for me when I started avoiding lime completely. The tomatillos carry enough tartness, so would definitely dial back the lime.
If you find it’s missing the lime to personal taste, you can always dial it back in.
Cut the lime, save it for when you eat the tacos.
Sugar
Blanch the tomatillos
Less lime
Wash the tomatillos really really well, and also roasted garlic would help balance this
Next time you make it taste with no lime juice to see if that’s the issue. If not add more onion and garlic. Also roasting the onion and garlic before blending will add even more sweetness.
Add a pinch of baking soda.