Live Healthy Live Well

This time of year many home gardens are filled with those last few tomatoes, peppers, or onions. If you are looking for a quick idea try salsa to make a tasty treat that is good for you and easy to prepare. Tomatoes – the main ingredient in many salsa recipes contain:

• only 32 calories per cup
• lycopene, a powerful anti-oxidant with cancer preventing properties
• potassium and Vitamin B, known for improving blood pressure and cardio-vascular disease
• Vitamin A, known for building healthy eyes

Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Shari Gallup has created a “Garden to Plate” video series which demonstrates the ease of preparing your own salsa, rather than purchasing it. Follow this link to view “Garden to Plate – Salsa” http://youtu.be/Diu1s-jnEyo.

If you want to make a canned salsa to use later in the year check out our Ohio State University Extension link to food preservation resources. We even have a video to guide you through the steps with water bath canning of salsa.    To see salsa recipes and our OSU Extension Salsa Factsheet go to http://ohioline.osu.edu/ To be creative with your salsa recipe – freeze your salsa in food safe containers for up to 12 months (home canned salsas should only follow tested recipes and food preservation methods).

Take your garden to your plate with salsa!

Writers: Lisa Barlage and Shari Gallup, Ohio State University Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences Educators, barlage.7@osu.edu and gallup.1@osu.edu.

Sources:

Michigan State University Extension, http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/tomatoes_provide_many_health_benefits.

Linnette Goard, Ohio State University Extension, Associate Professor, Field Specialist, Food Safety, Selection and Management, goard.1@osu.edu.

Kansas State University Extension, http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/sty/2007/homemade_salsa090507.htm.

Garden to Plate Series, Ohio State University Extension, Shari Gallup, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Licking County, http://licking.osu.edu/news/new-our-garden-to-plate-videos.