When it's peach season, I make every effort to enjoy them in as many ways as possible and one of my current favourites is this Fresh Peach Salsa. This delicious summer condiment has a combination of sweet, savoury and slightly spicy flavours which make the Salsa ideal to use in several ways. Serve as an appetiser with chips, with chicken, pork or fish, or as a topping to tacos.
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Why we love this recipe:
Perfectly ripe, fresh, summer peaches are such a special treat. I imagine that most people will love fresh peaches as much as I do and will enjoy this Salsa which is full of the sunny flavours of summer.
The Salsa is quickly and easily prepared from fresh ingredients. It is full of vibrant colours and flavours and contains a range of health-benefiting nutrients.
As a bonus, when you prepare foods yourself you are in control of the quality of the ingredients. The Salsa therefore does not contain artificial colours, flavours or preservatives; just pure, natural, nutritious ingredients.
This is a dish which is easily customized to suit you. If you don't like coriander/cilantro, leave it out. You could substitute with mint, which would be delicious, or flat-leaf parsley. If peaches are not available but nectarines or apricots are, either of those would be delicious.
I love the versatility of this Peach Salsa. Serve it as a snack with corn or pita chips, on a cracker with goat cheese or use it as a topping for tacos. It is delicious as a relish with chicken, pork or fish. I always enjoy the contrast of a hot protein with a cool accompaniment.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Fresh peaches - use just ripe, sweet, fresh summery peaches. Canned peaches or frozen peaches are not suitable. If they are very ripe, they will not hold their shape in the Peach Salsa and it will become mushy.
Tomato - this is a great ingredient as it is also at peak perfection in summer.
Green capsicum/bell pepper - I have used a green pepper for contrasting colours but you could use red if you prefer.
Jalapeno - if you like a milder Salsa, remove the ribs and seeds from the chilli or omit it entirely if you prefer.
Red onion - this onion is sweeter than the brown/yellow onion, making it ideal for use in salads.
Fresh coriander/cilantro - adds flavour and colour. If you are not able to eat coriander/cilantro, you could substitute with fresh mint or parsley.
Lime juice - use fresh lime juice, the flavour is more vibrant than bottled.
Sea salt - to taste.
Step by step instructions:
- Leave the skin on the peaches for the beautiful colour. Dice the peaches a little larger than the other ingredients and add them to a medium size bowl.
- Finely dice the tomato, capsicum/green pepper, jalapeno and red onion and add these to the bowl along with the peaches.
- Add the finely chopped coriander/cilantro to the bowl together with the lime juice. If serving immediately, season with sea salt to taste.
- Gently toss the ingredients together to combine them, then check the seasoning, adding more salt or lime juice if necessary.
If you are making the Peach Salsa in advance, do not add the salt until you are ready to serve as it will draw moisture from the ingredients, making the Salsa watery. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Tips for success and FAQs:
You can use yellow or white peaches, whichever you prefer. Ideally, try to obtain freestone peaches rather than clingstone. As their names imply, freestone peaches have fruit that easily pulls away from the pit, while clingstone peaches have flesh which clings to the pit making it impossible to cleanly remove the fruit. You want to avoid fruit which is not ripe as the flesh will be hard and lack flavour. On the other hand, fruit which is over-ripe will not hold its shape in the Salsa and will become mushy. Look for peaches that have a little give when you gently squeeze them. The fruit should be fragrant. Avoid any with bruises.
This is personal preference. I prefer to leave the skin on for the Salsa as it adds beautiful colour but you can peel them if you prefer.
First, wash the peaches well. Using a sharp paring knife, cut the peaches in half, slicing vertically from the stem end of the peach, along the seam, down through the base and up the other side. Gently twist the halves in opposite directions to separate them. Use the tip of your knife to remove the pit. If you have freestone peaches, the stone will be easily removed. If you have a clingstone peach, as the name implies, the pit will not be able to be removed cleanly. You will need to cut around it. Then, cut the peaches into medium size dice.
It is best served shortly after preparation. However, you can make it several hours ahead of time if that suits you. It is best made on the day of serving but leftovers can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Do not add salt to the Salsa until you are ready to serve as it will draw liquid from the ingredients.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
We love a fresh and delicious salsa recipe! Some more of our favourites are:
If you love fresh peaches as much as I do, you will want to use them in as many ways as possible during their too-short season. I am confident that you will enjoy my Fresh Peach Salsa with its sweet, savoury and slightly spicy flavours. There are so many ways to enjoy it; you are only limited by your imagination.
Alex xx
Fresh Peach Salsa
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 3 medium-sized peaches See Notes 1 and 2
- 1 medium tomato
- 1 medium green capsicum/bell pepper
- 1 jalapeno See Note 3
- ½ medium red onion
- â…“ cup fresh coriander/cilantro See Note 4
- 1 lime - juiced
- sea salt flakes - to taste
Instructions
- Dice the peaches, leaving skin on. Make the dice a little larger than the other ingredients. Add them to a medium size bowl.
- Finely dice the tomato, capsicum/green pepper, jalapeno and red onion and add these to the bowl along with the peaches.
- Finely chop the coriander/cilantro and to the bowl together with the lime juice. If serving immediately, season with sea salt to taste.
- Gently toss the ingredients together to combine them, then check the seasoning, adding more salt or lime juice if necessary. See Note 5.
- If you are making the Salsa in advance, do not add salt until you are ready to serve as it will draw moisture from the ingredients, making the Salsa watery.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to serve. The Salsa is best eaten shortly after it's prepared but can be made an hour or two in advance if preferred.
Notes
- You can use yellow or white peaches, whichever you prefer. Ideally, try to obtain freestone peaches rather than clingstone. As their names imply, freestone peaches have fruit that easily pulls away from the pit, while clingstone peaches have flesh which clings to the pit making it impossible to remove the fruit cleanly. You want to avoid fruit which is not ripe as the flesh will be hard and lack flavour. On the other hand, fruit which is over-ripe will not hold its shape and will become mushy. Look for peaches that have a little give when you gently squeeze them. The fruit should be fragrant. Avoid any with bruises. If your fruit is very sweet, you may need to add a little extra lime juice to balance the flavours.
- I like to leave the skin on the peaches as it adds lovely colour.
- All chillies vary in the intensity of their heat so I recommend that you check the heat of yours before adding them to the dish. If it seems too hot, remove the seeds and the membrane. If you prefer milder heat you may prefer to only use a half jalapeno or completely omit it.
- If you are not able to eat coriander/cilantro you can use fresh mint instead; it is delicious. Or, if you prefer, you can also use flat-leaf parsley.
- If making the Salsa an hour or two in advance do not add salt until you are about to serve as it will draw moisture from the ingredients.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on this recipe serving four people as an appetiser. The nutritional information is an estimated only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Maggie says
This is incredibly good. Sooo yummy!
Alexandra says
Thank you so much!