Rachel Been, AOL
When testing salsas, we set some rules. First of all, these are all store-bought, jarred salsas. While almost every supermarket has assorted fresh salsa choices, we felt this would be unfair, as there's just no comparing a freshly made salsa with one jarred months prior. Plus, there just aren't enough fresh salsas available that are also national brands. The best fresh salsas are made locally, and in some instances, on the spot. We didn't include any canned salsas, for similar reasons.
Find out the winners after the jump.
We tested each salsa for its "chunkiness," which is self-explanatory. Some people enjoy a salsa with big chunks, some don't. The next criterion was "freshness," though this is not literal. There are salsas that just taste fresher than others. "Dipability" refers to how the salsa covers a chip, and how hard or easy it is to heave up a mouthful of the salsa. Plus, none of the salsas reviewed were "hot." Most were "medium," so the spice factor is more about boldness of flavor than intensity of heat.
And finally, we picked three brands of chips:
Garden of Eatin' Blue Chips,
Brad's Blues All-Natural White Tortilla Chips and
Tostitos Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips. Each of these chips are great for their own reasons, and we pair them with the salsas reviewed.
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Best Salsa and Chips
Garden of Eatin' Blue Chips are light on salt, grainy, sturdy and taste great with sweet salsas.
Rachel Been, AOL
Best Salsa and Chips
Garden of Eatin' Blue Chips are light on salt, grainy, sturdy and taste great with sweet salsas.
Best Salsa and Chips
Brad's Blues chips are a little saltier than Garden of Eaten's, have a great corn taste and are a little chewy.
Best Salsa and Chips
Tostitos makes the best tortilla chips – wide, salty shovels of cornmeal, perfect for excavating snack bowls.
Best Salsa and Chips
Sixth Runner-Up: Paul Newman's All Natural Chunky Salsa
Chunkiness (1 to 4): 3
Freshness (1 to 4): 2
Dipability: 2
Spice (1 to 4): 2
Verdict: While the wide mouth of the jar is appreciated, as it makes scooping that much easier, this product is strangely bland. It needs more of everything, especially salt and spice.
Best Chip Pairing: Tostitos
Best Salsa and Chips
Fifth Runner-Up: Amy's Salsa
Chunkiness (1 to 4): 2
Freshness (1 to 4): 2
Dipability: 3
Spice (1 to 4): 2
Verdict: These results were a bit of a shock, since so many of Amy's healthy frozen food choices are tasty. This salsa just tasted flat, and even worse, tinny. It seemed as if it were made mainly of poor-quality canned tomatoes.
Best Chip Pairing: Brad's Blues
Best Salsa and Chips
Fourth Runner-Up: Rosa Mexicano Kitchen Pomegranate Salsa (Medium)
Chunkiness (1 to 4): 2
Freshness (1 to 4): 2
Dipability (1 to 4): 2
Spice (1 to 4): 2
Verdict: Tangy, robust, but after more than a few bites, this salsa grew tiresome. The random, trendy inclusion of pomegranates into anything should be banned. This salsa was powerfully sweet, almost like a barbecue sauce.
Best Chip Pairing: Garden of Eatin'
Best Salsa and Chips
Third Runner-Up: Mrs. Renfro's "Smoky" Roasted Salsa
Chunkiness (1 to 4): 3
Freshness (1 to 4): 2
Dipability: 2
Spice (1 to 4): 2
Verdict: A perfectly adequate salsa with bright chunks of tomato, until the overpowering "natural smoke flavor" aftertaste hits you. It tastes like the "natural smoke flavor" was applied by a firehouse.
Best Chip Pairing: Garden of Eatin'
Best Salsa and Chips
Second Runner-Up:
Desert Pepper Trading Company Corn, Black Bean, Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
Chunkiness (1 to 4): 4
Freshness (1 to 4): 2
Dipability: 2
Spice (1 to 4): 3
Verdict: A really hearty salsa, as there are generous amounts of corn, beans and red peppers. It's a little vinegary, but really satisfying.
Best Chip Pairing: Brad's Blues
Best Salsa and Chips
First Runner-Up: Salpica Texas Picante Salsa
Chunkiness (1 to 4): 3
Freshness (1 to 4): 3
Dipability: 2
Spice (1 to 4): 2
Verdict: Colorful, bold and with a surprising and enjoyable lime finish. The lime flavoring has a slightly chemically taste, but not in an unpleasant way. Overall, a very serviceable salsa.
Best Chip Pairing: Tostitos
Best Salsa and Chips
Winner: Green Mountain Gringo Salsa
Chunkiness (1 to 4):3
Freshness (1 to 4): 3
Dipability: 3
Spice (1 to 4): 3
Verdict: This is a pretty good jarred salsa. It's filled with chunky bits of onion and tomato, but runny enough to evenly coat a chip. A little bit of heat, and just the right amount of vinegar.
Best Chip Pairing: Tostitos
Best Salsa and Chips
Related:
Best Frozen Buffalo Wings,
Salsa Recipes
