Jarred Medium Salsas
A few years ago, the test kitchen tasted store-bought salsas and found that most tasted downright awful. None measured up to homemade. Of the options available at the supermarket, we recommended two salsas from the refrigerated case, and—less enthusiastically—only two of the eight bottled salsas we tried.
After hearing from readers who like to keep salsa in the pantry as a readily available snack, we decided to revisit the subject of bottled salsas to find out whether they’d improved at all since our last tasting. We gathered the recommended jarred brands from the previous test and added two other national brands that we hadn’t tasted before. We chose basic flavors and a medium level of spiciness and instructed tasters to sample each salsa both plain and with the test kitchen’s favorite tortilla chips.
Our favorite had a “bright, acidic” flavor with “a bit of a kick.” The scores of the remaining bottled salsas, however, fell well below our recommended range.
Curious how our new winner would compare to fresh salsa, we pitted it against our homemade One-Minute Salsa recipe and a local refrigerated brand. Again, tasters gave top honors to the homemade salsa, but our winner held its own and kept its recommended spot.
Our conclusion? We still think homemade salsa is best. If you don’t want to bother pulling out the food processor, or if you can’t find acceptable tomatoes, the fresh salsa in your supermarket’s refrigerated case can be nearly as good. And if you’re really looking for convenience and need a salsa with a longer shelf life, our winning brand is a decent option.
-
RECIPE
One-Minute Salsa -
RECIPE
Salsa Verde -
RECIPE
Easy Chicken and Salsa Tacos
| Product Tested | Origin | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | |||
|
Columela Extra Virgin Olive OilOur favorite premium extra-virgin olive oil from a previous tasting, Columela is composed of a blend of intense Picual, mild Hojiblanca, Ocal, and Arbequina olives. This oil took top honors for its fruity flavor and excellent balance. Tasters praised its “big olive aroma, big olive taste” with a “buttery” flavor that is “sweet” and “full,” with a “peppery finish.” One taster said: “It’s very green and fresh—like a squeezed olive.” Another simply wrote: “Fantastic.” |
Spain | $19 for 17 oz |
| Recommended | |||
|
Lucini Italia Premium Select Extra Virgin Olive OilTasters noted this oil’s flavor was “much deeper than the other samples,” describing it as “fruity, with a slight peppery finish,” “buttery undertones,” and a “clean, green taste” that was “aromatic, with a good balance.” “It has the flavor that some good EVOOs have,” said one admiring taster. |
Italy | $19.99 for 500 ml ($39.98 per liter) |
|
Colavita Extra Virgin Olive OilVirtually tied for second place, this oil was deemed “round and buttery,” with a “light body” and flavor that was “briny and fruity,” “very fine and smooth,” and “almost herbal,” with “great balance.” “Good olive flavor. I could smell it and taste it,” approved one taster. In a word, “pleasant.” |
Italy | $17.99 for 750 ml ($23.98 per liter) |
| Recommended with Reservations | |||
|
Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive OilA clear step down from the top oils, tasters noted “overall mild” flavor and “very little aroma,” with only a “hint of green olive” and a “hint of spiciness at the end.” In pasta, it was initially “not complex,” but gradually “bloomed in your mouth.” Overall, it was “worthy of a second bite.” |
Italy, Greece, Spain, and Tunisia | $12.49 for 750 ml ($16.65 per liter) |
|
Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive OilWhile some tasters found this oil “sweet” and “buttery” with “medium body” and “slight spice at the end,” others complained that it had “zero olive flavor” and was “so floral it’s almost like eating perfume”; still others noted a “bitter” aftertaste. In pasta, it was “extremely mild” to the point of being “boring.” |
Italy, Greece, Spain, and Tunisia | $10.99 for 750 ml ($14.65 per liter) |
|
Goya Extra Virgin Olive OilComments: The best comments tasters could muster were “mild” and “neutral.” Some liked it on pasta (though one called it “Snoozeville”), but complaints were myriad: “metallic,” “soapy,” “briny,” “hints of dirt.” Carped one taster, “I can’t imagine what is in here, but they have a nerve calling it EVOO.” |
Spain | $13.99 for 1 liter |
For complete access to the results,
start a 14-Day Free Trial.
Start Your 14-Day Free Trial Membership
Every Recipe. Every Rating. Every Video from
Every Magazine & Every Episode!
- 8 years of Cook’s Country Foolproof Recipes
- Complete Cook’s Country TV Video Library
- 2,900+ Equipment Ratings and Ingredient Taste Tests
- Step-by-Step Technique Photos
- Save Favorites, Create Menus, Print Shopping Lists
