The Real Reason Some Salsa Recipes Contain Sugar

There are a variety of different salsas available to eat, but most of them feature the same base ingredients: tomatoes, onions, peppers, and spices.

Sam's Famous Salsa reports that the condiment traces back to the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans, but the first official record of it was around the year 1500. It made its way to America in the 1940s, where it didn't really take off in nationwide popularity until the 1980s. Though there are many different brands of salsa you can purchase at the grocery store, making your own salsa at home is a cheap, easy way to enjoy a fresher flavor to your food.

There are a few different reasons your homemade salsa may not turn out exactly how you want it to taste, including underripe ingredients, processed vegetables, canned tomatoes, or even overly-blended onions, reports Boss the Kitchen. Salsa is a great, refreshing snack, and no one wants a bitter bite. Thankfully, adding a little bit of sugar to your salsa could help save it, even though it is an ingredient you may not think to add.

While picking fresh tomatoes from a garden is a great way to ensure that your salsa is as fresh as possible, you may find yourself accidentally slicing into underripe tomatoes if you pick them too early. Picking tomatoes before they are ripe could mean that they have a more bitter, acidic taste, according to Farm Flavor, which could spoil the salsa if it overpowers the other flavors.

Adding a little bit of sugar is a great way to counteract the bitterness of the other ingredients, states Boss the Kitchen. Just be careful not to add too much — you should add a pinch at a time, adding more as needed. They report that a little bit of sugar or honey will take the edge off the bitter flavor without making it overly sweet and A Spicy Perspective agrees. They say that adding sugar to salsa will do a great job in balancing the acidity from the tomatoes and erasing the tart bite.

Once you've achieved the perfect tasting salsa, try making some homemade tortilla chips for the perfect snack pairing!