Mexican · sauce

Lacto-Fermented Pico de Gallo Salsa

Lacto-Fermented Pico de Gallo Salsa — from Clean Food Living's cooking video Watch how it’s made · 9:40

Video by Clean Food Living on YouTube · Open on YouTube

25 min · plus 24 hours fermentingMakes 13 × ¼ cup (60 g)17 kcal a portion
  • Low carb (3 g net carbs) but not keto: 11% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Nut-free

Contains: none of the common allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

A raw, chunky salsa of tomato, corn, capsicum, onion and coriander — about 17 kcal a ¼-cup serve, with some vitamin C and no oil or sugar. A day of fermenting adds tang; the salt makes it about 360 mg sodium a serve.

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Ingredients 7

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Dice the tomatoes, cutting out the cores and any blemished skin, and put 3 cups in a bowl with all the juice from the board. 2:12
  2. Add the chopped coriander leaves, diced capsicum (or jalapeño), corn kernels, onion and the juice of the lime, and toss well. 3:29
  3. Pack the salsa into a clean quart (1 litre) jar a little at a time, pressing gently with your hand or a tamper so the air comes out and the juice rises over the vegetables. Pour in the juice left in the bowl. 6:05
  4. Sprinkle the salt on top (12 g coarse or 8 g fine) and push it under the liquid. Set a fermenting weight on top so everything stays under the juice, then cover with a coffee filter held on with a jar ring. 6:44
  5. Leave on the counter for 24 hours, then remove the weight, close the lid and refrigerate. Eat within 3–5 days. 8:07

Tip. Makes about 790 g, roughly 13 quarter-cup serves (our estimate). Frozen corn works if fresh isn't in season. The cook found 24 hours gives the best flavour and texture — longer softens the tomatoes.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion, ¼ cup (60 g), gives you 1 of 13

Energy17 kcal70 kJ
Protein0.7 g1% of a day
Fibre0.8 g3% of a day
Carbohydrate3.9 g3 g net · 1.7 g sugars1% of a day
Fat0.2 g0 g saturated0% of a day
Sodium360 mg16% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 72%
  • Protein 17%
  • Fat 11%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Vitamin C Source12%

10 mg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (54%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Show the other 14
Vitamin K6%

7.2 µg a serve, mostly from fresh coriander leaves (50%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Potassium3%

140 mg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (73%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Vitamin A3%

23 µg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (76%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin B63%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (56%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Magnesium2%

7.7 mg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (60%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Vitamin E2%

0.3 mg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (80%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Folate2%

9.9 µg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (63%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Calcium1%

7 mg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (59%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Iron1%

0.2 mg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (61%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Zinc1%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from ripe tomatoes (57%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin B120%

0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Selenium0%

0 µg a serve, mostly from onion (43%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Omega-30%

0 g a serve, mostly from fresh corn cob (100%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

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Recipe and video by Clean Food Living; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.