To get fall off to a delicious start, we’re veering away from traditional Mexican salsa or Pico de Gallo recipes and making Pumpkin Salsa. Don’t knock it until you try it!

You’d be surprised how many different recipes for Pumpkin Salsa are just a click away on the internet.

After careful consideration, I chose this recipe by the Snappy Gourmet. Here is the link,

https://snappygourmet.com/pumpkin-salsa/

It’s simple to make even though it does require sauteing the vegetables, combining all the ingredients for a few minutes on the stove, then cooling the salsa before serving. There is flexibility with the spices you can use. If you like a sweeter flavor, you can also add a little sugar. I decided to try it both ways, so after making the recipe, I divided it into two bowls and added sugar to one, marking the lid with a piece of blue tape, so I’d know the difference.

Speaking of difference, both salsa variations were delicious. The addition of a teaspoon of sugar makes the tomatoes in the recipe less acidic. The subtle sweetness adds to the pumpkin flavor without turning the mixture into a pumpkin pie. I added a dash of Ceylon cinnamon which really brought out the flavor of the vegetables.

I served both variations with corn tortilla chips, and for dinner I tried them over air fried slice zucchini. Delicious!

This is a versatile recipe, and the website includes suggestions for foods to try with pumpkin salsa. Sadly, my sons, Ian and James are not fans of pumpkin in any form. Christian and I were the only pumpkin lovers in the family. I think he would have enjoyed this recipe. I’m so impressed with this website; I’ll be trying some of their other recipes.

I’ll be making twelve versions of salsa or Pico de Gallo. I intended to use recipes from the same website, but for this Salsa Roja, I went to Love and Lemons. It’s one of my all-time favorite salsa recipes.

Traditional salsa is made with cooked tomatoes, onions, peppers, and spices. Usually, it’s blended or pureed to create a smooth texture. Sometimes sugar is added.

Raw salsa is uncooked fresh ingredients that are still blended like traditional salsa instead of left chunky like Pico de Gallo.

Pico de Gallo is a chunky, uncooked sauce made from chopped tomatoes, red onions, peppers, cilantro, and lime juice.

You typically won’t find cooked salsa used in traditional Mexican cuisine.

Here is the list of the salsas I’ve made so far. I won’t be posting which salsa/Pico de Gallo I’ll be making in advance. You’ll have to check back every month to see what’s cooking!

The Twelve Months of Salsa

January - Pico de Gallo - Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca) - Peas and Crayons Blog

February – Fresh Pineapple Salsa - Fresh Pineapple Salsa - A Southern Soul

March – Salsa Verde - Salsa Verde Recipe {Green Salsa} - Cooking Classy

April – Black Bean Salsa - Zesty Loaded Black Bean Salsa | Dishing Out Health

May – Salsa Roja - https://www.loveandlemons.com/salsa-roja/

June – Avocado Salsa Verde - https://ourbestbites.com/avocado-salsa-verde/

July- Fresh Mango Salsa - https://cookieandkate.com/fresh-mango-salsa-recipe/

August – Cherry Salsa - https://www.everydaysouthwest.com/cherry-salsa/

September – Watermelon Salsa - https://www.recipegirl.com/watermelon-salsa/.

October – Pumpkin Salsa - https://snappygourmet.com/pumpkin-salsa/